Living in San Antonio, I often find myself thinking.

"Why is there constantly freeway construction here?"

Whether taking the freeway connected to downtown or driving around the Loop 1604 outskirts, there were construction zones everywhere.

If you accidentally enter the wrong section, the traffic is so bad that I now check Google Maps before even entering my destination.

Once, I went without checking Google Maps and ended up watching cars endlessly trying to exit with a 'LANE CLOSED' sign.

It feels like it's impossible to memorize the construction zones here, as they seem to pop up randomly from all directions.

"Why is this freeway construction taking so long?"

It turns out there was a reason. These constructions are not just about laying new asphalt; they involve complex elements like bridge construction, elevated road structures, and adding HOV lanes. The fact that they are not completely closing the roads and are working while maintaining traffic is, in itself, a very difficult task.

During the day, cars need to pass, so most work is done at night... Thus, creating temporary lanes and seeing trucks lined up on the shoulder is not an uncommon sight. Moreover, when it rains during the hot summer, work often comes to a halt.

Some sections reportedly don't even have the full budget, so they proceed with just the first phase and will continue to the next phase when more funds become available(!?)

So, unlike in Korea... or other states where construction is completed all at once, this is a slow battle that unfolds in stages.

These days, the most talked-about construction in San Antonio is undoubtedly the I-35 northeast expansion, known as the 'NEX project.'

This is not just a simple road expansion; I heard it's a plan to build a two-level highway. It's a double-deck project, stacking a road on top of another road.

I think they said construction would start in 2024... already, the northeast area is incredibly congested.

Major ramps like Toepperwein and O'Connor are already closed, and some sections are expected to be closed until the end of 2025.

That's not all. The northern section of Loop 1604 is still under major construction. They say they plan to expand from 4 lanes to 10 lanes, and the scale of the construction looks really large. 

The section between Bandera and I-10 has surpassed 80% completion, but the complicated I-10 to US 281 section is only about 70% done, and they continue to work on it...

The western section of U.S. 90 is also set to begin construction now, lasting until 2034.

Currently, it's 4 lanes, but they plan to expand it to 6 lanes and add a flyover ramp.

By the time that is completed, my 10-year-old eldest child might be getting his license and driving excitedly with his girlfriend...

At this point, I realize that the freeway construction in San Antonio is not just simple road maintenance but a large-scale project akin to urban reconstruction.

I understand the fatigue felt by those who frequently use these freeways, and I can see why the construction takes so long.

Still, if we just hold on for a few more years, the day will come when we can drive smoothly on the long-awaited freeway with the windows down and music playing. Of course, by then, they might be working on another section.

San Antonio seems to be a place where, in a way, "if it's a freeway, it's always under construction."

Well, is Texas Texas for any other reason...?