This project is currently undergoing a new environmental review and study The previous configuration discussed and shown on this page has been removed.  This page will be updated when the current study is complete and details of a proposed expansion are available.

Below is information about the history of previous plans to add toll lanes to Loop 1604 and the latest status.

Just looking for more information on the Loop 1604 "superstreet"? See the Loop 1604 superstreet page.

Project history

In the mid and late '80s, Loop 1604 was upgraded from a two-lane farm road to a four-lane freeway between I-10 West and I-35 North.  Subsequent projects in the early '90s extended the freeway to Kitty Hawk on the east and nearly to Braun Rd. on the west.  Since that time, a tremendous amount development has taken place along the 1604 corridor, and traffic counts all along 1604 have increased dramatically.  In fact, the top six locations for traffic growth since 1990 are along 1604 North, with the top growth spot showing growth of almost 800%.  Meanwhile, Loop 1604 has struggled to keep up with the explosion of traffic.  The section south of Braun to Culebra was upgraded from a two-lane road to a four-lane divided highway in 1999, the overpass at Culebra was added in 2004, and the section from Culebra south to US 90 was upgraded from a two-lane road to a four-lane divided arterial in 2007.  However, due to a dramatic increase in construction costs and stagnant fuel tax revenues, funding for several additional planned freeway improvements in the Loop 1604 corridor has not been available.

As a result of these funding issues, the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC), at the behest of the governor and using tools previously granted by the Legislature and voters, ordered in December 2003 that "controlled-access mobility projects in any phase of development or construction must be evaluated for tolling.  This includes new location facilities and increased capacity projects such as adding additional main lanes or constructing new main lanes."  TxDOT, therefore, was compelled to evaluate all Loop 1604 expressway improvements for possible tolling.  The evaluation showed that the anticipated traffic volumes along 1604 made it viable for tolling, so per the TTC's order, the projects were reclassified as toll projects and plans were made to incorporate toll lanes into the designs.

In 2004, a consortium consisting of local construction giant Zachary and the Spanish infrastructure company Cintra, which were working together on a bid to operate one of the Trans Texas Corridor projects, submitted an unsolicited bid to TxDOT to build the Loop 1604 tollway projects, as well as the US 281 toll project, in return for a 50-year lease to operate the tollways.  Because the bid had merit, TxDOT was required under state law to fully evaluate the Cintra-Zachary bid and accept any other bids for the projects.  The Cintra-Zachary bid not only paid for construction and subsequent maintenance and operation of both roadways (which freed planned state funding for other projects), it also paid a large concession fee to the state that could also be used to fund other projects.  Based on those merits, the Cintra-Zachary bid was accepted in early 2005 and work started on the US 281 project later that year.  A subsequent lawsuit resulted in TxDOT canceling the Cintra-Zachary contract and sidelined the planned US 281 toll project indefinitely.

Then in 2007, the Legislature passed a moratorium on nearly all new privately built and/or operated toll roads and passed legislation requiring that local Regional Mobility Authorities be given the right of first refusal on toll projects in their jurisdiction.  The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (ARMA), which was established by Bexar County in 2003, subsequently opted to take control of both the 281 and 1604 toll projects and put forth a $1.8 billion plan to upgrade and expand the entire northern arc of Loop 1604 from Military Dr. on the west all the way over to I-10 on the east.  The required environmental study for that project is currently underway and is expected to be completed by 2012.  During the scoping process for that study, the eastern boundary for the project was set at I-35 North while the western boundary was extended south to US 90.

In February 2009, Congress approved a national economic "stimulus" plan that poured additional federal money into road construction projects.  The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approved allocating San Antonio's share of transportation stimulus funding to be used as matching funds to leverage state funding for first half of a 281/1604 interchange.  This project is building all four of the ramps connecting to 281 south of 1604, i.e. northbound 281 to both directions of 1604, and both directions of 1604 to southbound 281.  The use of the federal funds allowed the ramps to be toll-free.  The Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) approved the funding request on March 5th, 2009.  Construction began in early 2011 is expected to be complete in early 2013.  It was determined that ramps connecting to 281 north of 1604 could not be built until lingering issues stemming from the lawsuits and associated environmental studies for 281 north of 1604 are resolved.  However, funding has already been set aside for those ramps so that construction can begin as soon as the legal and environmental issues are resolved.  For more information on the 281/1604 interchange, click here.

The TTC also approved using stimulus funds to expand Loop 1604 to a four lane divided highway from FM 78 to Graytown Rd. near Randolph AFB.  That work was completed in September 2011.  Also in September 2011, ARMA and TxDOT completed a package of improvements -- including two "superstreet" intersections -- on Loop 1604 West between Braun Rd. and Shaenfield Rd.

	Alamo Regional Mobility Authority http://www.alamorma.org
	More for Loop 1604 http://www.morefor1604.com/