Texas State Highway Loop 368

{{short description|State highway loop in Bexar County, Texas, United States}}

{{Infobox road

| state = TX

| type = Loop

| route = 368

| map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=290|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Texas State Highway Loop 368}}}}

| map_custom = yes

| map_notes = Loop 368 highlighted in red

| length_mi = 8.115

| length_ref = {{TxDOT|SL|368|accessdate=February 23, 2008}}

| established = 1962

| decommissioned =

| history =

| restrictions =

| direction_a = South

| terminus_a = {{jct|state=TX|I|35}} in San Antonio

| junction =

| direction_b = North

| terminus_b = {{jct|state=TX|I|410}} in Fratt

| counties = Bexar

| previous_type = Loop

| previous_route = 367

| next_type = Loop

| next_route = 369

}}

Loop 368 is a state highway loop in the U.S. state of Texas that follows a former route of US 81 in San Antonio. {{convert|8.115|mi|km}} in length, the route is a major arterial in the city, providing access to Brackenridge Park, the San Antonio Zoo, and the University of the Incarnate Word.

Route description

Loop 368 begins northeast of Downtown San Antonio at I-35 near that route's interchange with I-37 and US 281.{{Texas Mapbook|page=1869|year=2018|link=no|access-date=January 31, 2022}} It heads northeast along Broadway through Midtown San Antonio, and through the cities of Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills. At an intersection with Austin Highway, Loop 368 turns onto that roadway. The highway continues to the northeast to its northern terminus at the interchange of I-35 and I-410.{{Texas Mapbook|page=1830|year=2018|link=no|access-date=January 31, 2022}}{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=14381461714082874711,29.439063,-98.478200%3B13147086242621808515,29.487270,-98.447410%3B4087062581792372061,29.525230,-98.404756%3B1437919763777705225,29.520589,-98.396612&saddr=Broadway+St+%4029.439063,+-98.478200&daddr=Austin+Hwy+%4029.487270,+-98.447410+to:I-410+W+%4029.520589,+-98.396612&mra=mr&mrcr=0&via=1&sll=29.516446,-98.403726&sspn=0.019644,0.046778&ie=UTF8&ll=29.479953,-98.433037&spn=0.157207,0.374222&z=12 |title=overview map of Loop 368 |accessdate=February 22, 2008}}

History

Loop 368 follows the original routing of US 81 on the northeast side of San Antonio. US 81 was first designated along this stretch in 1927 and is the basis of the name Austin Highway, as US 81 was the primary route from San Antonio to Austin at the time.{{TxDOT|US|81|accessdate=February 23, 2008}} On August 1, 1962, when US 81 was rerouted onto the freeway to the east, the old segment was designated as Loop 368, but signed as Business U.S. 81. The route was signed as Loop 368 after US 81 was decommissioned south of Fort Worth in 1991.

On December 18, 2014, the section from Burr Road in Alamo Heights to I-35 was planned to be removed from the state highway system as part of TxDOT's San Antonio turnback program, which gave {{convert|21.8|miles|km}} of roads to the city.{{cite web |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-approves-switch-in-road-maintenance-5189753.php|title=San Antonio approves switch in road maintenance|last=Davila|first=Vianna|work=San Antonio Express-News|via=MySA.com|date=January 30, 2014|access-date=December 23, 2022}} The original proposal would have turned back over {{convert|129|miles |km}} to the city, and would have also decommissioned the section of Loop 368 from the McNay Art Museum entrance northeast of New Braunfels Avenue to I-35, but the city rejected that proposal.{{cite news|title=City officials say no to TxDOT turnback program|last=Davila|first=Vianna|url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/City-officials-say-no-to-TxDOT-turnback-program-4997151.php|work=San Antonio Express-News|via=MySA.com|date=November 20, 2013|accessdate=August 10, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://sanantonio.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1520507&GUID=2B8D75CC-ED18-4C40-8C17-6B871569CC03|title = City of San Antonio - File #: 13-1062}} The turnback of the Burr Road to I-35 section was to have occurred upon the issuance of the project acceptance letter for the improvements along that section.{{cite web|title=December 2014 meeting}} However, on January 27, 2022, TxDOT announced that it would retain jurisdiction over that portion of Loop 368, noting that the city did not provide the required acceptance letter for the project.{{cite news|url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/TxDOT-confirms-it-owns-Broadway-halts-road-work-16809728.php|title='This has stunned all of us': TxDOT confirms it still owns Broadway, halting road project|last=Santana|first=Steven|publisher=MySA|date=January 27, 2022|access-date=January 31, 2022}}{{cite press release|url=https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/statewide-news/001-2022.html|title=Texas Transportation Commission Approves Retaining Capacity On SL 368 (Broadway) To Address Congestion And Plan For Future Growth|publisher=Texas Department of Transportation|date=January 27, 2022|access-date=January 31, 2022}}

Under the leadership of mayor Ron Nirenberg, the city of San Antonio tried to add Protected bike lanes and narrowing the existing lanes on Broadway along with lowering the speed limits, but the Texas Department of Transportation did not allow that. Nirenberg accused the state DoT of "1950s thinking" and having a "religious fascination" with highway expansion.{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2022 |title=‘It’s just more and more lanes’: the Texan revolt against giant new highways |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/29/texas-highway-expansions-project-displacements-protests |access-date=April 29, 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}