Photo by Marie Leonard A direct connector from Hwy. 290 eastbound to I-10 is set to open later this weekend after construction crews finish the lane switches and pavement markings. Elected officials and the Texas Department of Transportation celebrated the completion of the project with a ribbon cutting Oct. 10.
Another Hwy. 290 expansion project milestone will be reached this weekend when the new direct connector ramp from Hwy. 290 eastbound to I-10 opens to drivers early Monday morning.
The Texas Department of Transportation broke ground on the $151.5 million project in July 2011 in an effort to eliminate the need for drivers to first merge onto Loop 610 to reach I-10. Representatives from TxDOT and local elected officials gathered on the new connector Oct. 10 to celebration the completion of the project that is expected to enhance safety and relieve congestion in the area.
"When you put three roads together—Hwy. 290, Loop 610 and I-10—it gets tricky to get from road to road and is quite dangerous," said state Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston. "We used to call it the spaghetti bowl. This [new connector] will be a great asset for those of us who live in Northwest and West Houston."
According to TxDOT, more than 250,000 drivers experience the "West Loop weave" daily, which will be eliminated for drivers traveling inbound on Hwy. 290.
"This [connector] sells itself," said state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston. "We will appreciate it very soon. One of the easiest votes in the world is to vote for highway funding, and we need to use this project as an example of how government works."
The new direct connector will require eastbound drivers on Hwy. 290 to exit the highway earlier. Traveling from Hwy. 290 eastbound, the two-lane exit to I-10 will be on the right after W. 34th Street. An additional two-lane exit ramp from westbound Loop 610 N. will provide four lanes parallel to Loop 610 to the eastbound and westbound exits to I-10 where drivers will emerge on the right-hand lanes.
Work will be completed this weekend to finalize pavement markings and switch traffic to the new lanes, but there will be lane closures before the new ramp opens. Two Hwy. 290 eastbound lanes will be closed from W. 34th Street to Dacoma. Additionally, two outside lanes from Hempstead to Memorial on Loop 610 W. southbound will also be closed along with the westbound lanes on Loop 610 N. from T.C. Jester to Hwy. 290.
The closures will begin at 9 p.m. Oct. 10 and are expected to last through 5 a.m. Oct. 13, but some lanes could open early as work progresses.
