Portion of Southwest Fwy in Fort Bend County to close as part of expansion project over Brazos River

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Drivers in Fort Bend County may want to prepare for this gridlock alert along the Southwest Freeway starting next week.

The Texas Department of Transportation announced it will close the mainlanes of US-59 northbound from FM-762 and Thompson Road to University Boulevard from Friday, June 7, at 9 p.m. to Monday, June 10, at 5 a.m.

Officials said the planned closure is part of the construction of the county's bridge extension project over the Brazos River.

To get around this, drivers will have to exit through the northbound mainlanes at exit 105 and re-enter the northbound mainlanes at the entrance ramp south of University Boulevard.

SEE ALSO: Fort Bend residents worried 'we could be next' as they say homes being swallowed by Brazos River

Nearly $100 million will go toward repairs along the Brazos River as residents claim erosion from the river is destroying streets and highways.

TxDOT said the closure would include a concrete barrier and work zone stripping, allowing the travel lanes to be shifted onto the northbound bridge.

The $53 million project will extend the US-59 mainlane and frontage road bridges, both northbound and southbound, by approximately 1,000 feet.

It's also aimed to remove damaged turnaround under the bridge, address erosion, and improve traffic flow and safety for drivers.

For more information on the closure and detour updates, visit Houston TranStar or Drive Texas.