Galleria area drivers should expect delays due to months-long road closure beginning Tuesday

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A major disruption is coming for drivers in the Galleria area. They won't be able to get on the I-610 loop going South from Westheimer Road. The closure starts Tuesday night and is expected to last until at least the fall.

Now that it's 2023, we are just one year away from the scheduled completion of this construction project intended to improve safety and reduce congestion on the interstates. In the meantime, there will be a little pain for drivers before we see the progress.

There will be more traffic and congestion come Tuesday night when another closure begins along the West Loop. Drivers leaving the Galleria area on Westheimer will be unable to get on I-610 using the southbound ramp. The Texas Department of Transportation said the five-year project is coming along at a great pace, but they wanted to wait until after the busy holiday season for this next part.

"We try to minimize traffic, of course, for folks in the Galleria area and the business community," Danny Perez with TxDOT said.

Drivers can take a detour, but it will add time to your commute. Keep right on the feeder to avoid the closure and take the entrance ramp onto I-69 south. Then, take the Fountainview exit, make a U-Turn, and get on I-69 North. That will bring you back to I-610.

TxDOT released the following construction schedule:

On Jan. 6, Westpark Drive will be closed for the demolition of the remaining part of the existing IH-610 main lane bridge and the remaining sections of the I-69 southbound connector to I-610 southbound over Westpark Drive.

In February, northbound and southbound IH-69 will be completely closed for a weekend to hang IH-610 southbound main lanes and steel girders over I-69. On several weekday nights in February, crews will close both northbound and southbound IH-69 to continue to work on the steel girders. This includes the HOV lane.

Toward the end of 2023, the new I-610 southbound main lanes and Westheimer entrance ramp should open, so existing southbound I-610 (currently on existing NB I-610) will be shifted to the new southbound bridge, followed by a demo of the existing northbound I-610 bridge over I-69 and finish construction of the new I-69 southbound connector ramp to I-610 southbound.

The schedule is subject to change due to the weather.

For updates on this story, follow Briana Conner on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ABC13 has real-time traffic data to help you navigate Houston's roads and avoid traffic delays. Sign up for traffic alerts that are sent straight to your phone through our ABC13 app. Manage your notifications from the settings tab. Live traffic map

Do you hate Houston traffic as much as we do? Join the club!