Texas State Highway 151 - History

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 Transportation 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 roads 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.