VRX, Inc. provided comprehensive Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) services on U.S. 281 for TxDOT San Antonio. (Photo above from May 2020.)

VRX served as the prime construction engineering and inspection (CEI) consultant to the TxDOT San Antonio District on this approximately $216M urban transportation project. Under VRX’s management, this major highway construction project met its substantial completion milestone more than 100 days ahead of schedule, despite hundreds of unforeseen issues documented by VRX (~650 RFIs) and the Contractor (~350 RFIs) as well as 40 change orders that revised 900+ plan sheets.

VRX Project Manager Praxedis “Pete” Garza, PE, led the VRX construction management team. At the time of its letting in 2017, the 4-mile US Segment 1 CEI was the largest bid-build project in TxDOT San Antonio history.

The US 281 Segment 1 project extended from the Loop 1604 interchange to Stone Oak Parkway in Bexar County. The existing 4-lane highway had been a 2-way super street configuration (SSC) for nearly 10 years. The reconstruction included 3-lane northbound and southbound frontage roads, as well as new highway with 2 general purpose lanes and 1 HOV lane in each direction. This was the first HOV lane implementation in San Antonio.

The project also constructed 4 new direct-connectors (DCs) at Loop 1604 and US 281; it added 1 direct T-ramp connection at Stone Oak Parkway to a new VIA Park & Ride facility. A total of 19 bridges were constructed, including the four DCs, which completed the north half of the four-level Loop 1604 and US 281 interchange. The bridges were composed of steel girders and concrete beams. Elevated construction to build the DCs was up to ~100 feet in the air.

VRX’s comprehensive Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) services include environmental compliance (Task Leader Eric Huff), utility engineering and utility construction verification (Task Leader Jon King, PE), resident engineer (Task Leader Carlos Ayala, PE), record keeping, and construction inspection.

The project has won several AEC industry awards.