281 Superstreet Project Moves Closer To Reality

By rerockstar • March 7th, 2010

Construction to begin March 15.

Finally the 281 Superstreet Project has some legs and will finally begin construction. It was a little over a year ago that we first spoke about the idea on this blog and it looks like we’ll see the 281 superstreet completed before the end of this year. With traffic choking the neighboring areas between 1604 and Marshall Road (especially the Stone Oak area), it’s about time.

Signs have started to spring up along 281 announcing the superstreet construction will begin on March 15, 2010. Plans have it slated to be completed by late September of this year. Knowing how long construction projects in San Antonio take, this new superstreet will be finished super fast. According to the plans I noticed in John Honore’s KSAT 12 report, “Superstreets Ready For Go In SA” it looks like additional u-turn lanes will be added, hopefully preventing problems with drivers being forced to race across lanes to make their way into single turn around lanes.

While the impact of the 281 superstreet on local commute times through the area has yet to be seen, at this point, at least something is being done. Although ideas like overpasses and toll roads have been suggested along the 281 corridor, this is what we have and I can only hope it truly reduces traffic and travel times through the area. The hardest part is going to be in September when the project is complete. Will this be a confusing nightmare for travelers? San Antonio has an interesting mix of traffic solutions – from interchanges to overpasses to access roads to turn arounds…and now the superstreet. All we need is a few traffic circles like England and we’ll have out of town visitors truly befuddled by our road system!

I do think a slight alleviation in commute times and traffic will help the Stone Oak area immensely. As mentioned in my previous post on the 281 superstreet project, Stone Oak homeowners have suffered with a decrease in desirability in their neighborhoods, largely in part to the stigma of the traffic. Any improvement will hopefully help lift some of the negative connotations of living in the area and improve house values overtime.

photo courtesy of thisisbossi