Two freeways closed this weekend
Construction workers will shut down both directions of Interstate 35 and also eastbound Loop 410 this weekend so they can do bridge work.
Near Fort Sam Houston, crews demolishing a bridge will close all I-35 main lanes between AT&T Parkway and New Braunfels Avenue from 11 p.m. Friday to as late as 5 a.m. Monday, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
On the North Side, workers setting beams will close eastbound Loop 410 at Nacogdoches Road from 8 p.m. Friday to as late as 5 p.m. Saturday.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Forecast predicts sunny skies Saturday and Sunday, with temps in the upper 70s.
I predict mighty slow going for motorists who don’t find better alternate routes, with tempers in the upper ranges.
Useful links:
Commuting Roads: electric cars
by Patrick
Comments Off on So where do you plug in an electric car?
So where do you plug in an electric car?
Chevy Volt
With the all-electric Chevy Volt headed to buyers next year, and Ford’s Focus and other amped-up models soon to follow, a lot of people are about to find out that plugging in might not be as simple as it sounds.
Does your garage have a 120- or 240-volt outlet? What permits or inspections do you need? Will you be able to juice up at work or other places? And what kind of money are we talking about?
In other words, there’s a battery of questions about how to keep electric cars going.
Construction and closures Roads: Loop 410 Perrin Beitel weather
by Patrick
Comments Off on Loop 410 closed Saturday
Loop 410 closed Saturday
Starting tonight, workers plan to close both directions of Loop 410 on the Northeast Side through Saturday afternoon so they can set bridge beams.
Seems this morning’s heavy rain and thundery bluster might say otherwise, but the National Weather Service predicts sunny skies by Saturday, with a high at a mellow 73 degrees.
If the weather backs off as expected, crews will close all main lanes of Loop 410 at Perrin Beitel from 11 p.m. tonight to as late as 3 p.m. tomorrow, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Motorists should use alternate streets such as Nacogdoches Road and Wurzbach Parkway, and Harry Wurzbach and Austin Highway.
Useful links:
Railroads Roads Toll roads Transit: I-35 rail Texas Department of Transportation Texas Transportation Commission Toll roads Trans Texas Corridor
by Patrick
Comments Off on Sometimes “no” really does mean “no”
Sometimes “no” really does mean “no”
Click for larger map
A few years ago, then Texas transportation czar Ric Williamson shrugged off a citizen revolt against grand plans to build cross-state toll lanes and rail lines along Interstate 35. At the time, tens of thousands of people were showing up at dozens of public hearings to lash out at the planned Trans Texas Corridor’s I-35 leg.
Williamson, who was the Texas Transportation Commission chairman, said public hearings aren’t a vote but rather an effort to find out WHY people oppose or support a proposal and then to address those concerns.
He said:
The purpose of public hearings is not to take a survey. It is not a matter of not having sympathy for those who will have their land lost. Somebody has got to do something about (Interstate) 35. Not 10 years from now and not 25 years from now but right now.
Well, today the Texas Department of Transportation said the best way to address those concerns is to do nothing, at least for now.
Bicycles History Oil and gas prices Roads Travel: classic cars Travel Welcome
by Hugh
Comments Off on Hello from Hugh Hemphill
Hello from Hugh Hemphill
Right off the bat, I’m not from these parts. I hail, let’s get this out of the way right now so we can forget about it, from Scotland. And yet I sound like an Englishman. Go figure. I’ve been here since 1991, eighteen years, almost two-thirds of my adult life. I came here at thirty and as I stare fifty right in the face let me tell you that coming to Texas remains one of my better decisions. I like it here. A lot.
Roads Safety: cars Roads Safety
by Patrick
Comments Off on Most owners mistreat their cars
Most owners mistreat their cars
Are you running your car ragged?
Chances are, you might not even know it if you were, a recent AAA survey indicates. Some 62 percent of motorists run their vehicles hard but just 6 percent know they do.
That means almost two in three people often drive:
- Fewer than five miles in normal temperatures or less than 10 when it’s freezing.
- In stop-and-go traffic in hot weather.
- Slower than 50 miles per hour over long distances.
- On roads that are dusty, muddy or have salt, sand or gravel spread on them.
- Towing a trailer, carrying a camper (if a pickup truck) or with items latched to a roof rack or stowed in a carrier.
Now, many motorists know they drive like that, they just don’t know that they ought to be replacing parts and fluids more often, AAA says. Owner’s manuals usually list two different maintenance schedules — one for normal driving and one for severe workouts.
So most cars likely don’t get the upkeep they should.
How about that. Looks like I’ll be going over my maintenance recommendations.
Roads: construction FM 1957 pass-through financing Potranco SH 211 widening
by Brian
Comments Off on Good and bad news for Potranco
Good and bad news for Potranco
If your commute involves Potranco Rd. (FM 1957) outside Loop 1604, then I have the proverbial good news and bad news for you. The good news is that the Texas Transportation Commission approved a pass-through financing agreement with Bexar County last week that will allow the county to fund and manage the widening of Potranco from two to four lanes between Loop 1604 and SH 211 in far western Bexar County. This agreement will allow the expansion work to get done much, much sooner than if it had to wait its turn for “traditional” (read: gas tax) funding, which is growing more scarce every year. After the project is completed, TxDOT will reimburse the county for about 65% of the costs on a prorated basis over several years. The Potranco widening is lumped-in with another much-needed project: the completion (finally) of SH 211. I hear that developers in the area are picking-up the remainder of the tab on the two projects.
The bad news? It looks like work won’t start for about two years as Bexar County finalizes the plans for the two projects. So relief is still a few years away, but at least the ball has started rolling.
Construction and closures Roads: closures construction Loop 410 Roads
by Patrick
Comments Off on Loop 410 closed Saturday
Loop 410 closed Saturday
Workers will close eastbound Loop 410 on the Northeast Side this Saturday so they can set bridge beams.
Crews will divert motorists to a frontage road from 2 a.m. to as late as 6 p.m., according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Traffic will probably start backing up on the freeway’s main lanes shortly after sunrise.
To skip the mess, drivers can use Wurzbach Parkway or Austin Highway. Or, like I’ll do from the Northwest Side, you can swing wide to Loop 1604.
Click the map to find routes.
Check TransGuide for current highway conditions.