San Antonio Area Roads & More "The Circuit"

This page last updated January 16, 2010

Anybody who looks at a roadmap of South-Central Texas for a few minutes will likely see that, in addition to Loops 410 and 1604, San Antonio has yet another, albeit unofficial, loop.  This outer-outer loop is formed by parts of State Highways 16, 97, 123, and 173 and all of SH 46.  The roughly 222 mile ring, about 30-40 miles from downtown San Antonio, connects the towns of Boerne, Bulverde, New Braunfels, Seguin, Stockdale, Floresville, Pleasanton, Jourdanton, Devine, Hondo, and Bandera.  Many of these areas, especially along the northern arc, are rapidly growing as San Antonio's suburbs continue to spread, and some local residents and officials have begun to discuss the need for a possible third loop around San Antonio.  While no official plans are currently in works to officially designate a third loop, "The Circuit" has begun to take hold as the moniker for this ad-hoc beltway.

The vast majority of the route consists of two-lane rural roads.  In mid-2006, TxDOT announced plans to widen SH 46 between Bulverde and New Braunfels.  In the first phase, additional passing lanes were added between New Braunfels and Bulverde.  Work started in 2009 to widened the road to seven lanes between Loop 337 and FM 2722 in New Braunfels, including an overpass at 2722.  Future phases will extend that widening westward as needed.  TxDOT had also proposed to widen SH 46 to six lanes through Bulverde, but the Bulverde City Council twice voted not to participate in such a project.  However, they have since reconsidered and in 2009 approved a pass-through financing agreement which should allow construction to begin in 2011.

Prior to 2006, TxDOT widened SH 46 from New Braunfels to Seguin to five lanes.  Further west, discussion is ongoing for a possible SH 46 bypass around Boerne.