SAN ANTONIO - The grand opening for the new IKEA in Live Oak on February 13 is gaining a lot of attention around the area and city officials want to be sure people understand the new traffic patterns.
- Store opens February 13
- New store is creating traffic concerns
- Expected to create 250 new jobs
Many people will be visiting from across the state, but so will many people from different parts of Bexar County who might not have spent much time in Live Oak before.
"Arguably the 13th will be the heaviest day, but the weekend following the 13th will also be kind of hectic, and then probably that Monday Tuesday of the next week will be pretty nice, but then that very next weekend will also be pretty hectic," said city manager Scott Wayman.
Wayman said they are working to keep neighbors informed and traffic headaches at bay. Over the past few months if you've driven around Interstate 35 and 1604, you've probably seen some new signs popping up and they all point toward the opening of IKEA.
For about a month the Swedish mega-retailer has been training their new employees inside and about 250 new jobs are expected.
During the opening weekend extra law enforcement officers will be around the area to help with traffic and to be sure no people get blocked in their subdivisions surrounding the store.
Wayman said some of the biggest traffic changes came when the Texas Department of Transportation stepped in. Around the back of the store, the new Randolph Brooks IKEA Parkway will help lessen congestion for employees and give shoppers an easy way in.
At the front, the road has been widened where Pat Booker dead-ends at I-35 access road heading South. This will be one of the entrances to the new Live Oak Town Center.
While IKEA is expected next month, Wayman said within the next couple years you can expect the whole landscape of this center to look completely different.
"So you're going to see some more furniture in there, there's going to be several restaurants, entertainment facilities for families and there's going to be walkability," Wayman said.
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