59/610 interchange project is done, but one unchanged area leaves drivers frustrated

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A freeway construction project that had been underway for more than six years finally came to an end, but some motorists wish more had been done.

A celebration years in the making had all the feels of something grand, from the band to the speeches to the giant scissors used to cut a ribbon.

It was a party to mark the end of a project meant to make one of the state's most congested interchanges, U.S. 59 and IH-610, safer and faster.

"This is what I call the high-five moment," Texas Transportation Commission chairman J. Bruce Bugg said.

While TxDOT and other agencies celebrated, some motorists didn't have the same vibes.

"It's opened up a little bit, but not very much," driver Carolyn Moreno said.

"I think it's been better, but there still has been some traffic," driver Kieren Coffey explained.

Meanwhile, there's one area that's bumper-to-bumper that even a ribbon cutting can't get rid of.

"It doesn't matter what time of day, there's always a line," driver Max Palermo said.

That would be the southbound U.S. 59 connection ramp to the West Loop into the Galleria remains one lane. TxDOT officials said right-of-way and lane configuration issues prevented an expansion. It's on their radar, but as of right now, there are no plans to fix it.

"It still takes me 20 minutes to get right there by the Galleria," Moreno said.

Here's what the nearly $260 million project got drivers: The other connection ramps were widened to two lanes, shoulders were added to the West Loop, detention areas were created to improve drainage, and it's easier for drivers to see further ahead.

Crews may be gone from there, but they won't go far. Currently, $700 million in freeway projects are underway in Houston, with $20 billion more in the pipeline.

"We're trying to hit things today that make everybody's life better today, but also plan for the future," Bugg explained.

Officials are unsure how much the 59-610 project improved lives. They say it'll be next year before they know if it's fallen from the second most congested interchange in the state. Some drivers are skeptical to see this improvement.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Palermo said. "That's all I have to say about that."

Drivers in southwest Houston get a break after years of construction. If you're wondering where crews are heading next, TxDOT officials say they'll head northeast. This October, a groundbreaking will take place for the North Houston Highway Improvement Project, which will reconstruct the North Freeway from downtown to the Beltway.

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