Your drive into the Galleria area is about to get a lot worse
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The interchange of the West Loop and the Southwest Freeway is one of the busiest in the city of Houston, and as it undergoes construction, your drive into the Galleria area is about to get a lot worse.
Starting this summer, you may want to take a vacation from this busy interchange. Two of the ramps to I-610 that are already sore spots for drivers are going to shut down for a while.
US-59 northbound ramp to I-610 West Loop northbound
TxDOT says this entire ramp will be closed in mid-summer for approximately six months to make room for the construction of the new ramp. The new connector is expected to be completed early next year.
US-59 southbound ramp to the I-610 West Loop northbound
This entire ramp will eventually close for about two months to make room for the construction of the new one. The new ramp is slated for completion in fall of this year.
These ramps will both likely be closed at the same time, at least for a short time. The new ramps will be rebuilt in the exact same spot as the old ones, so crews simply can't keep the old ramps open during construction.
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TxDOT says the contractor has incentives on this work so they stand to receive additional funds for early and on-time completion.
In the past several months, we've seen the opening of two new ramps: I-610 West Loop southbound to US-59 northbound and the ramp at I-610 West Loop northbound to US-59 southbound and Chimney Rock.
Still, this is a lengthy project.
Construction began at the interchange in September 2017 and is scheduled for completion in 2024.
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