TxDOT marked major progress across Texas in September

Oct. 9, 2025

By Ryan LaFontaine

AUSTIN – The opening of long-awaited flyovers ahead of schedule and moving forward on plans for key highway expansions highlight the many project milestones across the state in September.

San Antonio: New turnaround and flyover openings

On San Antonio’s far West Side, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) opened a new turnaround bridge at the U.S. 90 and Texas 211 interchange, marking the “substantial completion” of a $6.8 million project aimed at improving safety and traffic flow. The project, which began in summer 2024, wrapped up four months ahead of schedule.

Originally slated for completion in winter 2026, the turnaround now connects westbound to eastbound U.S. 90 traffic more efficiently. It’s part of TxDOT’s broader effort to expand U.S. 90 into a six-lane freeway from Loop 1604 to west of Texas 211. That expansion is currently in advanced planning, with construction on the first phase expected to begin this fall.

Meanwhile, on the city’s North Side, commuters are seeing progress on the massive Loop 1604 North Expansion Project, a $1.4 billion investment to improve mobility and reduce congestion along 23 miles of the corridor across north Bexar County.

TxDOT also opened a fifth flyover ramp at the I-10/Loop 1604 interchange, connecting westbound I-10 to eastbound Loop 1604. It’s the latest in a series of milestones for the project, which has already seen four flyovers open since December 2024. By the end of 2026, all eight flyovers are expected to be complete.

Houston: Public gets a look at Gulf Freeway’s future

In Houston, TxDOT unveiled two proposals for the future expansion of the I-45 Gulf Freeway between downtown and Beltway 8. The 14-mile corridor—passing key landmarks like the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, and Hobby Airport—could see the addition of two elevated managed lanes in each direction to ease congestion and improve safety.

One proposal retains current lane counts, while another adds a general-purpose lane in each direction. Both would include continuous sidewalks and improved frontage road access. The project remains in environmental review, with construction likely more than a decade away.

Waco: I-35 progress and bridge improvements

In Central Texas, TxDOT continues progress on long-running work along Interstate 35 through Waco. The agency is replacing the 17th and 18th Street bridges as part of ongoing safety and mobility improvements through the corridor.

Elsewhere, in Valley Mills, TxDOT crews have begun replacing the State Highway 317 bridge over the railroad south of town. Built in the 1950s, the bridge no longer meets current design standards. The replacement will provide a more modern, wider and safer crossing.

West Texas: I-27 extension moves forward

In the Permian Basin, the long-anticipated development of Interstate 27 is officially underway. TxDOT is currently in negotiations and anticipates starting preliminary engineering and environmental studies for the first phase of the new interstate along State Highway 349 from SH 176 in Martin County to I-20 near Midland.

The I-27 expansion is part of a larger effort to strengthen freight and passenger connections across West Texas. The project will eventually link to SH 158 and extend north toward Lamesa, with future phases planned through 2027.

From the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast and the High Plains, TxDOT’s September progress underscores its commitment to improving mobility, safety and economic opportunity across the state.