| State Highway Loop 1604 | ||||
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| Route information | ||||
| Length: | 94.387 mi[1] (151.901 km) | |||
| Existed: | 1977 – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| CCW end: | I-10 east of San Antonio | |||
| I-10 - US 90 I-37 - I-35 US 87 - US 281 SH 151 - US 181 SH 16 |
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| CW end: | I-10 east of San Antonio | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Highways in Texas
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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 95.6 miles (153.9 km). It is the outer loop that encircles most of San Antonio, and along with the inner loop Interstate 410, is connected to a significant part of the highways in the city.
Loop 1604 began as a two lane highway and has been upgraded to a four lane freeway along its northern stretches. The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) is planning to add new lanes between SH 151 and I-10 East as toll lanes. An Environmental Impact Statement study is currently underway to determine other improvements needed.[2]
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Loop 1604 was designated in 1977 after FM 1604 was combined with a large portion of FM 1518 to complete a larger loop around San Antonio. Three bypasses were completed in the early 1980s: in 1980, FM 1937 was extended to replace a bypassed portion near Losoya; in 1981 FM 327 was designated as the through route when Loop 1604 was rerouted around Elmendorf; and in 1984 Loop 1604 was routed around Lone Oak, creating FM 3465 over the previous routing.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Loop 1604 forms a complete loop around the city of San Antonio and is the outer of two loops around the city with I-410 being the inner loop. The route has portions that are built to freeway standards, portions built as a divided highway, and portions that are just a 2-lane rural road.[10] The loop officially begins and ends at I-10 east of San Antonio.[1] It heads south from I-10 as a 2-lane road and turns towards the southeast and intersects FM 1346, FM 1518 and FM 3465 while turning back towards the south and reaching a junction with US 87 in Lone Oak. Continuing to the south, Loop 1604 has a second intersection with FM 3465, an intersection with FM 3432 as the road turns towards the southwest and a junction with US 181 near Calaveras Lake. Heading southwest from US 181, the highway intersects FM 327 as it enters the city of Elmendorf. It intresects FM 327 once again as it leaves Elmendorf heading towards the southwest. At FM 1303, Loop 1604 turns towards the west before a junction with I-37.[10]
Continuing west through the southern portions of Bexar County, the loop intersects FM 1937 (South Flores Road) and Farm to Market Road 3499 before an interchange with US 281. The highway continues to the west to an interchange with SH 16, passing to the south of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas plant. The highway continues to the west and begins to curve towards the north as it enters the city limits of Somerset and an intersection with FM 2790 (Somerset Road). Completing the turn to the north as it leaves Somerset, Loop 1604 heads north to an interchange with I-35. The highway heads north after the I-35 interchange to an intersection with FM 2536 (Old Pearsall Road) before an interchange with US 90.[10]
North of US 90, Loop 1604 becomes a 4-lane divided highway with median crossings only located at traffic lights and turnarounds at those traffic lights to facilitate traffic flow of vehicles turning around to go in the opposite direction. The highway enters the San Antonio city limits near Marbach Road and follows near the city limit boundary. Major intersections along this stretch include Marbach Road, FM 1957 (Potranco Road) and Wiseman Boulevard. The loop continues north near the campus of Northwest Vista College to a junction with the western terminus of SH 151. The intersection is signalized but southbound traffic is not required to stop due to no left hand turns from SH 151 to Loop 1604. Westbound traffic from SH 151 are either routed to the northbound main lanes of Loop 1604 or the northbound frontage road of Loop 1604. The loop curves towards the northeast at the junction with SH 151 and continues to a diamond interchange at FM 471 (Culebra Road). Loop 1604 continues as a divided highway with signalized intersections at Shaenfield Road, New Guilbeau Road and Braun Road. Northeast of Braun Road, the highway becomes a freeway with its first interchange at SH 16 (Bandera Road).[10]
The freeway continues to the northeast with interchanges at FM 1560 (Hausman Road) and Babcock Road. The freeway begins to head east at the Babcock Road interchange and passes near the University of Texas at San Antonio campus, the Shops at La Cantera and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The freeway continues to the east to a cloverleaf interchange with I-10. East of I-10, the freeway has interchanges with Lockhill-Selma Road, FM 1535 (Military Highway), Bitters Road and Huebner Road. As it passes through the north side of San Antonio, the freeway has interchanges with FM 2696 (Blanco Road) and Stone Oak Parkway before reaching US 281. The two freeways do not connect directly and the two interchange by way of a signalized intersection between the frontage roads of each.[10]
Continuing east from the US 281 interchange, the freeway has interchanges with several local roads to include Gold Canyon Drive, Redland Road, Bulverde Road and O'Connor Road. The freeway continues east to interchanges with Judson Road and Green Mountain Road before it curves to head to the southeast. Now heading southeast, the freeway has an interchange at FM 2252 near Rolling Oaks Mall and an interchange at Lookout Road before it leaves the San Antonio city limits. Upon leaving San Antonio, the freeway enters the Live Oak city limits before a cloverleaf interchange at I-35. Southeast of I-35, Loop 1604 enters the Universal City city limits before reaching an interchange with SH 218, which provides access to Randolph Air Force Base. Between the interchange at SH 218 and Kitty Hawk Road, Loop 1604 has a couple at-grade turn-offs at Palisades Drive and Granada Drive. At-grade turn-offs southeast of the Kitty Hawk Road interchange are located at Meadowland Drive and Byrd Boulevard. The last two interchanges of the freeway are located at FM 1976 and FM 78. The highway merges down to a 2-lane road as it enters the Converse city limits. The highway passes by the western boundary of Randolph Air Force Base before curving to the south. The highway reenters the San Antonio city limits prior its interchange at I-10 at its official point of beginning and ending.[10]
The entire route is in Bexar County.
| Location | Mile | Junction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | I-10, US 90 – San Antonio, Houston | ||
| St. Hedwig | FM 1346 (St. Hedwig Road) | ||
| FM 1518 | |||
| FM 3465 | |||
| US 87 – San Antonio, La Vernia, Victoria | Interchange | ||
| FM 3465 | |||
| FM 3432 (New Sulpher Springs Rd) | |||
| US 181 (Corpus Christi Highway) | Interchange | ||
| Elmendorf | FM 327 | ||
| FM 327 | |||
| FM 1303 (South Flores Road) | |||
| I-37 – San Antonio, Corpus Christi | Interchange | ||
| FM 1397 (South Flores Road) | |||
| FM 3499 | |||
| US 281 – San Antonio, Pleasanton | Interchange | ||
| Pleasanton Road | Interchange | ||
| SH 16 (Palo Alto Road) – San Antonio, Poteet | Interchange | ||
| Somerset | FM 2790 (Somerset Road) | ||
| Von Ormy | I-35 – San Antonio, Laredo | Interchange | |
| FM 2536 (Old Pearsall Road) | |||
| Macdona-La Coste Road | Interchange | ||
| San Antonio | US 90 (Cleto Rodriguez Freeway) – San Antonio, Del Rio | Interchange | |
| FM 1957 (Potranco Road) | |||
| SH 151 (Stotzer Freeway) – SeaWorld | Interchange | ||
| FM 471 (Culebra Road) | Interchange | ||
| South end of freeway | |||
| SH 16 (Bandera Road) – Bandera, San Antonio | |||
| FM 1560 (Hausman Road) / Kyle Seale Parkway | |||
| Babcock Road | |||
| Chase Hill Boulevard, La Cantera Parkway – Fiesta Texas | |||
| Frontage Road | |||
| I-10 (Mc Dermott Freeway) / US 87 – San Antonio, El Paso | |||
| Frontage Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| Lockhill-Selma Road | |||
| FM 1535 (Military Highway) – Shavano Park | |||
| Bitters Road, Huebner Road | |||
| FM 2696 (Blanco Road) / Huebner Road | |||
| Stone Oak Parkway, Voigt Drive | |||
| US 281 (San Pedro Avenue) – San Antonio, Johnson City | |||
| Gold Canyon Drive | |||
| Redland Road | Eastbound exit is via Gold Canyon Drive exit | ||
| Bulverde Road | |||
| O'Connor Road | |||
| Judson Road | |||
| Green Mountain Road | |||
| FM 2252 (Nacogdoches Road) | |||
| Lookout Road | |||
| Live Oak | Frontage Road | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
| Randolph Brooks Parkway | Eastbound exit only | ||
| I-35 (Pan Am Expressway) – San Antonio, Austin | |||
| Universal City | SH 218 (Pat Booker Road) – Universal City, Randolph AFB, Live Oak | ||
| Palisades Drive | Northbound exit and entrance | ||
| Granada Drive | Northbound exit and entrance | ||
| Kitty Hawk Road | |||
| Meadowland Drive | Southbound exit and entrance | ||
| Byrd Boulevard | Northbound exit and entrance | ||
| FM 1976 | |||
| FM 78 – Converse, Universal City, Randolph AFB | |||
| Converse | South end of freeway | ||
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