Drivers along Abbott Road in East Bexar County know the drill: heavy rain hits, the road floods, and suddenly the only way out is a detour through FM 1518. Bexar County and the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority now have a plan to change that, with a widening project aimed squarely at the flooding and congestion that come with rapid growth in Saint Hedwig.
The plan would widen Abbott Road from Graytown Road to FM 1518, expanding it from one lane in each direction to four total lanes, with turn lanes added where needed, according to KSAT. The project would also add two bridges to the corridor. Alamo RMA Operations Engineer Reggie Fountain said the bridges would eliminate two 100-year floodplain crossings, giving drivers unflooded access on Abbott Road at all times.
For residents like Gidardo, the stakes of that fix are personal. Flooding can make Abbott Road unusable for two or three days at a stretch, he said, leaving the FM 1518 exit as the only route in or out.
A Corridor Already Linked to Tragedy
Flooding on roads in this part of East Bexar County isn't a new concern. The road is known to flood during both heavy rains and smaller rainfall events, and St. Hedwig City Manager Maria Hernandez has said runoff into Martinez Creek from new housing developments keeps saturation levels high, according to earlier reporting from Texas Public Radio.
That same reporting documented a tragedy that still shapes safety planning in the area: a 52-year-old woman and a five-year-old girl drowned near North Graytown Road and FM 1518 while traveling to school in October 2021. In response, county commissioners approved more than $137,000 for safety improvements, including automatic warning gates at Abbott and Graytown Roads and at Aztec Lane and FM 1518 that lower on their own when high water is detected.
Cost Estimates Don't Line Up
How much the Abbott Road widening will actually cost depends on which document you check. Fountain gave KSAT an estimate of about $30 million, but a November 2026 Bexar County projected-contracts list puts the estimated construction cost at $43.3 million, listing the project's design status as intermediate with an advertised quarter of the fourth quarter of 2027.
Fountain said the funding plan calls for an 80-20 split, with 80% coming from federal money and the remaining 20% covered by the county, the RMA, or another local funding mechanism. The Alamo RMA itself is funded in part through a $10 fee drivers pay when registering their vehicles, he said, money that goes toward projects like this one.
Timeline Hinges on Washington
The RMA expected a decision on federal funding before the end of 2026. If that funding comes through, construction is planned to begin on Abbott Road in 2028 and wrap up in 2030, per the same KSAT report.
Fountain said the RMA and the Texas Department of Transportation will coordinate any needed intersection closures or TxDOT closures at FM 1518 to limit impacts on residents during construction. Romo said neighbors are accustomed to construction activity in the area, though she acknowledged it will still require some adjustment once crews move in.
The Abbott Road project would sit alongside other state work already underway nearby. TxDOT's separate FM 1518 Expansion includes $73 million in transportation improvements along 5.6 miles of that corridor, aimed at increasing mobility and safety, though it remains a distinct effort from the Abbott Road widening.
