Improvements to the Beltway 8 and Hwy. 290 interchange aim to ease congestion during morning and evening rush hour, which is increased by conflicting traffic movements caused from limited access to and from Hwy. 290, Senate Avenue, FM 529 and West Little York, according to a summary released by the Texas Department of Transportation.
Plans for the interchange—referred to as Project G—were finalized by TxDOT last month, and the project was advanced from a later construction letting time frame due to identified funding, according to TxDOT. The $110.4 million bid was awarded to civil engineering firm Webber LLC by the Texas Transportation Commission at their Sept. 27 meeting.
The estimated total cost for Project G is $170 million, which includes rebuilding Hwy. 290 between W. Little York and FM 529 with four main lanes and a three-lane frontage road in each direction, along with costs associated with right-of-way acquisition.
"Building this project sooner rather than later does save money as construction costs escalate," said Karen Othon, public information officer for TxDOT. "With more than 258,000 vehicles a day traveling Hwy. 290, this project will address the issue of congestion at the interchange."
