State Highway 151 (Texas)
Encyclopedia
State Highway 151, or SH 151, also known as the Raymond E. Stotzer Jr. Freeway is a 10.7 miles (17.2 km) state highway in the U.S. state
of Texas
that runs from Loop 1604
to U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) in San Antonio
. SH 151 is a limited-access freeway for its entire length with the exception of its junction with Loop 1604 at its western terminus where a traffic light
controls the junction. The routing of the freeway was first conceived in 1983 and construction was conducted in phases through the 1980s and 1990s until completion in 2004. The freeway provides access to the western part of San Antonio, the Sea World
theme park, Chase
, and the future site of a Microsoft
data center.
at the time and for whom the freeway would later be named. The freeway was a joint effort with landowners providing 85% of the right-of-way worth US$26 million and half of the cost of the frontage road
s worth $14 million with the city buying the rest. During the construction of the freeway, the Texas Turnpike Authority considered SH 151 as a candidate to become a toll road, but this drew much criticism from local politicians and the Bexar County commissioners and did not come to fruition.
The freeway was built in phases with the frontage roads constructed first followed by the main lanes. The overpasses for Wiseman Boulevard, Westover Hills Boulevard and Military Drive between I-410 and Loop 1604 were completed over the main lanes of SH 151 in 1987. In 1988, the I-410 overpasses over the SH 151 frontage roads were completed, as was the interchange with US 90 at the eastern terminus. Also completed in 1988 were the frontage road bridges over Leon and Slick Ranch Creek, which enabled traffic to travel the entire corridor from Loop 1604 to US 90 by way of the frontage roads. The main lane overpasses at FM 1957 (Potranco Road) and Ingram Road were completed in 1997. The overpasses at Pinn Road and Old Highway 90 were completed in 1998, and completed at Callaghan Road in 2000. Construction of the freeway was completed in 2004.
, the outer loop around San Antonio, on the west side of San Antonio and from there follows a southeastern path through the western part of the city. The highway provides access to the SeaWorld San Antonio
theme park as well as industry along its corridor to include Chase
, Hyatt Hill Country Resort
, World Savings, Philips semiconductor
, the National Security Agency
campus, QVC
, American Funds
, Maxim Integrated Products
, and the Northwest Vista College
, as well as the nearby Southwest Research Institute
. Microsoft
has also selected the corridor for a $550 million data center. The highway continues to the southeast to a junction with Interstate 410 (I-410), the inner loop around San Antonio. There is not a direct connect interchange
at the junction of I-410. It is necessary to travel on both highways' frontage road
s in order to change highways. The highway continues to the southeast through mainly undeveloped land until it merges with US 90. According to the San Antonio Master Thoroughfare Plan, there are plans to extend SH 151 westward from Loop 1604 to SH 211. The plan also shows the construction of an interchange at Loop 1604.
Traffic volumes are low to moderate for the entire length of the freeway ranging from 14,500 average annual daily traffic (AADT) just east of Loop 1604 to 46,000 AADT between Farm to Market Road 1957 (FM 1957) and I-410. Between 2003 and 2005, traffic volumes have remained steady between I-410 and US 90. In that same time period, traffic between I-410 and Loop 1604 has increased by 1,100-7,000 AADT.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
that runs from Loop 1604
State Highway Loop 1604 (Texas)
Loop 1604, also known as the Charles W. Anderson Loop, is a highway loop that encircles the city of San Antonio, Texas and spanning a total of approximately...
to U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. SH 151 is a limited-access freeway for its entire length with the exception of its junction with Loop 1604 at its western terminus where a traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
controls the junction. The routing of the freeway was first conceived in 1983 and construction was conducted in phases through the 1980s and 1990s until completion in 2004. The freeway provides access to the western part of San Antonio, the Sea World
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Antonio is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, and animal theme park, located in the Westover Hills area of San Antonio, Texas. It is the largest of the three parks in the SeaWorld chain owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group, and the world's...
theme park, Chase
Chase (bank)
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase, is a national bank that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of financial services firm JPMorgan Chase. The bank was known as Chase Manhattan Bank until it merged with J.P. Morgan & Co. in 2000...
, and the future site of a Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
data center.
History
The route of Highway 151 was originally conceived in 1983 by local land developer Charles Martin Wender and later received approval by Raymond Stotzer, the district supervisor of the Texas Department of TransportationTexas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Texas. Its stated mission is to "work cooperatively to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods" throughout the state...
at the time and for whom the freeway would later be named. The freeway was a joint effort with landowners providing 85% of the right-of-way worth US$26 million and half of the cost of the frontage road
Frontage road
A frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a higher-speed road, usually a freeway, and feeding it at appropriate points of access...
s worth $14 million with the city buying the rest. During the construction of the freeway, the Texas Turnpike Authority considered SH 151 as a candidate to become a toll road, but this drew much criticism from local politicians and the Bexar County commissioners and did not come to fruition.
The freeway was built in phases with the frontage roads constructed first followed by the main lanes. The overpasses for Wiseman Boulevard, Westover Hills Boulevard and Military Drive between I-410 and Loop 1604 were completed over the main lanes of SH 151 in 1987. In 1988, the I-410 overpasses over the SH 151 frontage roads were completed, as was the interchange with US 90 at the eastern terminus. Also completed in 1988 were the frontage road bridges over Leon and Slick Ranch Creek, which enabled traffic to travel the entire corridor from Loop 1604 to US 90 by way of the frontage roads. The main lane overpasses at FM 1957 (Potranco Road) and Ingram Road were completed in 1997. The overpasses at Pinn Road and Old Highway 90 were completed in 1998, and completed at Callaghan Road in 2000. Construction of the freeway was completed in 2004.
Route description
SH 151 begins at Loop 1604State Highway Loop 1604 (Texas)
Loop 1604, also known as the Charles W. Anderson Loop, is a highway loop that encircles the city of San Antonio, Texas and spanning a total of approximately...
, the outer loop around San Antonio, on the west side of San Antonio and from there follows a southeastern path through the western part of the city. The highway provides access to the SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Antonio is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, and animal theme park, located in the Westover Hills area of San Antonio, Texas. It is the largest of the three parks in the SeaWorld chain owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group, and the world's...
theme park as well as industry along its corridor to include Chase
Chase (bank)
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase, is a national bank that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of financial services firm JPMorgan Chase. The bank was known as Chase Manhattan Bank until it merged with J.P. Morgan & Co. in 2000...
, Hyatt Hill Country Resort
Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels Corporation , is an international operator of hotels.Hyatt Center is the headquarters for Hyatt corporation...
, World Savings, Philips semiconductor
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
campus, QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
, American Funds
American Funds
American Funds is a family of 33 mutual funds managed by Capital Research and Management, part of the Capital Group Companies. Capital Research and Management serves as the investment advisor to the 33 American Funds. The company does not advertise and shuns publicity, preferring to rely on...
, Maxim Integrated Products
Maxim Integrated Products
Maxim Integrated Products is a publicly traded company that designs, manufactures, and sells analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products. Maxim develops integrated circuits for the industrial, communications, consumer, and computing markets....
, and the Northwest Vista College
Northwest Vista College
Northwest Vista College is a public community college within the Alamo Community College District in San Antonio, Texas. It is one of the top community colleges in the United States. Northwest Vista College offers open admission.- History :...
, as well as the nearby Southwest Research Institute
Southwest Research Institute
Southwest Research Institute , headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the oldest and largest independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organizations in the United States...
. Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
has also selected the corridor for a $550 million data center. The highway continues to the southeast to a junction with Interstate 410 (I-410), the inner loop around San Antonio. There is not a direct connect interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
at the junction of I-410. It is necessary to travel on both highways' frontage road
Frontage road
A frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a higher-speed road, usually a freeway, and feeding it at appropriate points of access...
s in order to change highways. The highway continues to the southeast through mainly undeveloped land until it merges with US 90. According to the San Antonio Master Thoroughfare Plan, there are plans to extend SH 151 westward from Loop 1604 to SH 211. The plan also shows the construction of an interchange at Loop 1604.
Traffic volumes are low to moderate for the entire length of the freeway ranging from 14,500 average annual daily traffic (AADT) just east of Loop 1604 to 46,000 AADT between Farm to Market Road 1957 (FM 1957) and I-410. Between 2003 and 2005, traffic volumes have remained steady between I-410 and US 90. In that same time period, traffic between I-410 and Loop 1604 has increased by 1,100-7,000 AADT.
Exit list
The entire route is in San Antonio, Bexar County.| Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | At-grade intersection At-grade intersection An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting... |
|
| 0.9 | Wiseman Boulevard | |
| 1.8 | Westover Hills Boulevard | |
| 2.8 | Military Drive | |
| 3.7 | Hunt Lane | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 4.4 | ||
| 5.5 | ||
| 6.7 | Military Drive, Pinn Road | No eastbound exit |
| 8.5 | Callaghan Road | |
| 9.2 | Old Highway 90 | Eastbound exit is via Callaghan Road exit |
| 10.7 | 36th Street | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 10.7 | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |