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System > "The Circuit"
Anybody who looks at a roadmap of South-Central Texas for a few minutes
will likely see that, in addition to Loops 410 and 1604, San Antonio has
yet another, albeit unofficial, loop. This outer-outer loop is
formed by parts of State Highways 16, 97, 123, and 173 and all of SH 46.
The roughly 222 mile ring, about 30-40 miles from downtown San Antonio,
connects the towns of Boerne, Bulverde, New Braunfels, Seguin,
Stockdale, Floresville, Pleasanton, Jourdanton, Devine, Hondo, and
Bandera. Many of these areas, especially along the northern arc,
are rapidly growing as San Antonio's suburbs continue to spread, and
some local residents and officials have begun to discuss the need for a
possible third loop around San Antonio. While no official plans
are currently in works to officially designate a third loop,
"The Circuit" has begun to take hold as the moniker for this ad-hoc beltway.
In mid-2006, TxDOT announced
plans to widen SH 46 between Bulverde and New Braunfels.
Initially, the road would be widened to seven lanes in New Braunfels and
additional passing lanes would be added between New Braunfels and
Bulverde with eventual widening to five and seven lanes as needed.
TxDOT had also proposed to widen SH 46 to six lanes through Bulverde,
but the Bulverde City Council twice voted not to participate in such a
project, which essentially has killed that part of it for now.
Meanwhile, TxDOT has upgraded
SH 46 from New Braunfels to Seguin to five lanes and discussion
continues for a possible SH 46 bypass around Boerne.
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