The $35 million project will allow drivers to cross directly to the westbound lanes of Beltway 8 from the southbound lanes of Hwy. 249, eliminating the need to exit onto the Hwy. 249 feeder road. This direct connector opened to the public Nov. 2.

“[Motorists have been] changing lanes, fighting to make that difficult maneuver to get off the freeway and onto another feeder and onto another freeway,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said. “This will all be eliminated because it will allow them to safely and easily negotiate off [Hwy. 249].”

The one-mile direct connector will take nearly 10,000 drivers off the feeder road, allowing for a smoother ride during peak traffic times and reducing accidents, said Gary Trietsch, Harris County Toll Road Authority executive director.

“First and foremost we see it as a safety improvement,” Trietsch said at a ribbon-cutting event for the project Oct. 30. “It’s going to take a lot of volume off of that intersection. [We’re hoping] the number of accidents goes down.”

The project’s completion will help businesses in northwest Houston as motorists will have an easier commute back to Beltway 8, said Barbara Thomason, president of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce.

“Anytime you have a mobility project open up, it has a positive impact on businesses,” Thomason said. “It has been requested by the public for many years, so we’re thrilled to see it happen.”