TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE: Southwest Freeway traffic to get worse - on purpose - until 2020

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Your Galleria-area commute is even more congested, thanks to a major construction closure along the Southwest Freeway. Crews have narrowed the lanes on your ride toward downtown.

TxDOT shut down one left inbound lane between Chimney Rock and Weslayan, which spans the very busy Loop 610 interchange.

Next weekend, a southbound left lane in the same area will also be eliminated. Both closures will be in place until early next year.

The closure is part of the I-610 West Loop/ I-69 Southwest Freeway interchange project.

The Texas Department of Transportation announced they will be reducing the main lanes on the SW Freeway from Chimney Rock to Weslayan, starting Monday, June 10, at 5 a.m.

Drivers on the 610 West Loop are also feeling the pinch. A northbound and southbound lane are both blocked just south of the US-59 closure, between Bissonnet and Westpark, through July 1.

This is all part of a larger, six-year long project to widen the ramps at the interchange near the Galleria. Crews broke ground in 2017 and are expected to wrap up in 2023.

Your best bet for an alternate route is to use surface streets in the area.

WATCH: ABC13 Eyewitness news team drives through entire route of I-610/1-69 interchange project

This is all part of a larger, six-year long project to widen the ramps at the interchange near the Galleria.

Contractors are also under the gun to get the roadwork finished on time. There are financial incentives and penalties to encourage work to stay on schedule.

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