San Antonio Area Freeway System Interstate 410 (John B. Connally Loop)

This page last updated January 01, 2010

This page covers Interstate 410 (Loop 410) from the Fratt Interchange (at I-35 north of Walzem) counter-clockwise around the central city to the BAMC Interchange (at I-35 near Rittiman). From there, Loop 410 continues north concurrent (multiplexed) with I-35 to the Fratt Interchange, but because the I-35 mile markers and exit numbers are used along that stretch, information on that segment can be found on the I-35 North page. Length: 49 miles (53 miles including the concurrent section on I-35)

On this page:

• Description
• Roadway details
  • Lanes
  • Access roads
  • Exits
  • Speed limits
  • Special features & notes
  • Traffic
• Construction projects
• Future plans
• History

Description

Interstate 410, known locally as Loop 410 or just "The Loop", is really a tale of two freeways.  The southern half (south of US 90) demarks the edge of the city and resembles and functions more like a rural Interstate than an urban freeway.  Meanwhile, the northern arc is one of the most heavily traveled freeways in the region and is home a major chunk of the area's suburban office space and several major shopping centers.  The Loop also provides access to San Antonio International Airport, the South Texas Medical Center, the Southwest Research Institute, the Westover Hills area and Sea World of Texas, the National Security Agency campus, Ft. Sam Houston, Lackland AFB, Brooks City-Base, Stinson Municipal Airport, the San Antonio Missions Trail National Park, Palo Alto College, the Toyota assembly plant and adjacent facilities, and the cities of Castle Hills, Balcones Heights, Leon Valley, Kirby, and Windcrest.

Land along the northern arc is heavily developed.  Office towers, shopping malls, hotels, and other commercial developments dominate the landscape, interspersed with dense residential areas.  South of US 90, development is much more dispersed with large tracts of vacant land, although this area has been seeing new growth in recent years.

In 2000, TxDOT started a major program to expand Loop 410 to 10 lanes across the Northside of San Antonio.  Click here for more info on that expansion.

Loop 410 intersects with I-35 North at two places: Loop 410 North intersects I-35 north of Walzem Rd. at the Fratt Interchange, and Loop 410 East intersects I-35 south of Rittiman Rd. at the BAMC Interchange. Both highways run concurrent (multiplexed) between these interchanges.

Roadway details

LANES

6 lanes from I-35 (Fratt Interchange) to Broadway 10 lanes from Broadway to Evers with a short 8 lane section through the I-10 interchange 8 lanes from Evers to Ingram 6 lanes from Ingram to Valley Hi 4 lanes from Valley Hi to I-35 North (BAMC Interchange)

ACCESS ROADS

Continuous access roads along entire route except at: I-35 South Railroad tracks just west of I-35 South I-37 South I-10 East FM 78   Eastbound access road through-traffic requires a left turn at Harry Wurzbach Southbound access road loops around to become northbound I-35 access road near FM 78 and Binz-Engleman Rd.

SPEED LIMITS

60 mph north of US 90 70 mph south of US 90

SPECIAL FEATURES & NOTES

TransGuide coverage from I-35 North to Culebra VIA Metropolitan Transit Park & Ride locations: Randolph: Fratt Interchange Crossroads: I-10 West Left exit from northbound I-410 to southbound I-35/Binz-Engleman No directional interchange at SH 151 Concurrency (multiplexes): 4 miles of Loop 410 concurrent with I-35 North from Fratt Interchange to BAMC Interchange 16 miles of SH 16 concurrent along western arc from Bandera Rd. (Exit 13) to Poteet-Jourdanton Hwy. (Exit 49) 3 miles of US 281 concurrent from I-37 (Exit 41) to Roosevelt (Exit 44)

TRAFFIC

Very heavy along northern arc (US 90 West to I-35 North).  The northern section previously was San Antonio's busiest freeway, exceeding 200,000 vehicles per day during the 1999-2000 period.  Much of the chronic congestion along this stretch has been eased with the completion of several expansion and interchange projects over the past decade.  However, that construction has temporarily reduced overall traffic along those sections, although traffic counts in the completed areas have started to recover. The southern half carries generally moderate traffic.  However, the fastest growing areas for traffic on 410 are all south of US 90.

Construction projects

Nacogdoches Rd. to Austin Hwy.: Click here for details on this project.

Click here for more info on the overall Loop 410 expansion project.

Click here for the latest status report on these projects.

Future plans

TxDOT has long-range plans to expand the section from Culebra to SH 16 South from six to eight or ten lanes and rebuild the US 90 West and I-35 South interchanges.  Those projects are listed as unfunded in the MPO's current 25 year plan.

The Loop 410/I-10 East interchange was recommended for non-specified improvements in the I-35 North Major Investment Study and also is listed as unfunded in the MPO's current 25 year plan.

History

The I-410 designation was authorized by Minute Order 62561 (July 31, 1969).  Named Connally Loop for former Texas Governor John B. Connally who assisted San Antonio greatly during the HemisFair World's Fair in 1968.

The northern part of today's I-410 route was originally part of Loop 13 (the southern half of which still exists today as WW White and Military Dr on the south and east sides.)  The section from the Fratt Interchange south to WW White was authorized in 1941, and the section from the Fratt Interchange west to NW Military was in place as early as 1950.  In 1951, the first plan to start extending the loop westward routed it from NW Military to the intersection of Fredericksburg and Callaghan.  By 1957, however, the present-day route from NW Military around the west side of the city to I-35 South was proposed, as was the eastern arc from Rittiman south to Sulphur Springs.  That western section, along with the southern segment from I-35 to Roosevelt, was completed by 1964.  The remainder of the loop was complete by 1967, including an upgrade of the original highway from Austin Hwy. to NW Military to freeway standards.  That section, however, was signed as State Loop 410 until August 1969, while the rest of the new freeway was designated I-410 as it was built.

The section from Ingram to I-35 North was expanded to six lanes in the late '70s and early '80s. The Fratt interchange was rebuilt in a rather spectacular project between 1980 and 1983. The section from Ingram to Valley Hi was expanded to six lanes ca. 1987.  An extra lane was added westbound from I-10 West to Babcock in 1996.  The segment from West Ave. to Cherry Ridge was expanded to 10 lanes (eight lanes actually marked initially) in 1997.  TransGuide coverage was added from Ingram Rd. to I-35 North in 1999.  The section between McCullough and US 281 was widened and prepared for the planned 218/410 interchange in 2000 and 2001.  The section from I-10 to Callaghan was widened to 10 lanes in 2003, and the section from West Ave. to Blanco widened to 10 lane (eight lanes initially marked) in 2005.  The section from Blanco to McCullough was widened to 10 lanes in 2008, and the section from Jones-Maltsberger to Broadway was widened to 10 lanes in 2009.  The first ramp in the 281/410 interchange opened to traffic on June 18th, 2007 and the final ramps were opened to traffic on June 9th, 2008.  Work on the I-10 West interchange, including widening the Loop to eight lanes, was completed in early 2009.  The elevated Bandera connectors opened in May 2009 and work to widen the section from Callaghan to Ingram to eight lanes was completed shortly thereafter.