BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – San Antonio drivers in high-occupancy vehicles will soon be able to bypass traffic on a section of I-10.
The first-ever HOV lane in Bexar County is set to open next week in the eastbound lanes of I-10 from Ralph Fair Road to La Cantera.
A secondary westbound HOV lane in the same area is expected to open later this fall, according to officials with the Texas Department of Transportation.
Officials also said an HOV lane is scheduled to open in 2021 on Highway 281 from Loop 1604 to north of Stone Oak Parkway. That HOV lane will be extended by 2023 from north of Stone Oak Parkway to Borgfeld Road, according to TXDOT.
The stretch of HOV lane on I-10 W will be five miles, phase one of the Highway 281 HOV lanes will be three miles and phase two on Highway 281 will be six miles.
All the HOV lanes in Bexar County will be free to use 24 hours a day, seven days a week for permitted vehicles.
HOV lanes are designated lanes along a highway that are reserved for the following vehicles:
- Vehicles carrying 2 or more people
- Buses
- Motorcycles
- VIA and marked vehicles
Trailer towing is prohibited in HOV lanes.
“HOV lanes are the next step in VIA’s longtime collaboration with TxDOT and local leaders to address current and future congestion on our roadways with safe, convenient options,” said VIA president Jeffrey Arndt. “Dedicated lanes for VIA buses and multi-passenger vehicles allow us to move more people, faster, cut down on congestion and prepare for future growth in San Antonio and Bexar County.”
The goal of the HOV lanes is to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and help cut down exhaust emissions in the environment, according to VIA officials. These projects were funded through TxDOT and other local partnerships including VIA and the Advanced Transportation District.
TXDOT will build the HOV lanes and VIA will manage them. The HOV regulations will be enforced by the San Antonio Police Department.
VIA did not provide the exact dates for the opening of the HOV lanes.