US-281

Identified as one of the most congested corridors in Texas, it was clear a new design was needed to help the more than 100,000 vehicles traversing daily through the US 281 Corridor in northern Bexar County. The Texas Department of Transportation sought to make enhancements to the aging highway system to meet community needs now and in the future.

HNTB partnered with TxDOT to provide its expertise in highway planning and design for the US 281 improvement project. The first phase expanded and converted almost four miles of a six- to eight-lane signalized arterial into a controlled access freeway, vastly reducing traffic in the most congested corridor in San Antonio.

Beyond providing master utility plans, project specifications and estimates for US 281 Phase 1, HNTB collaborated with TxDOT to create the final design for the freeway, including:

· Two high occupancy vehicle lanes with direct connection to the VIA’s new park and ride facility

· Four freeway-to-freeway direct connector flyover ramps

· Four over passes

· A frontage road flyover to allow through traffic on the frontage road to bypass a signalized intersection

The US 281 Phase 1 project has already helped address the region’s immediate traffic issues and is estimated to have reduced driver delays by nearly half. The improved corridor also increased multimodal options and prepared it for future growth — enhancing connectivity now and for years to come.