TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Ramp closure at I 69, Loop 610 in e ect for next 2 years As work continues to build new
COMPILED BY SHAWN ARRAJJ & SOFIA GONZALEZ
UPCOMING PROJECTS
RICE BLVD.
I 69/Loop 610 interchange ramps close Ramp closures
connector ramps between I-69 and Loop 610 in southwest Houston, a major closure went into e ect in April and will last for the next two years. The I-69 southbound connector ramp to Loop 610 southbound was closed as of April 29, said Danny Perez, a public information o cer with the Texas Department of Transportation, which is managing the project. At the same time, TxDOT also closed the I-69 southbound exit ramp to Chimney Rock Road, which will reopen around late June. Although TxDOT would typically try to keep the existing ramp open while building the new one, Perez said it will not be possible with the roadwork to come. Construction crews will need the room freed up by the closure to build the Loop 610 northbound main lane bridge over I-69, he said. Drivers on southbound I-69 who are looking to connect to Loop 610 southbound should detour to the
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ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF MAY 31. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT BMWNEWS COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. tion preparation work in January, the Houston City Council approved an ordinance May 10 authorizing the city to acquire 11 parcels needed for a project to improve a section of Uni- versity Boulevard between Kirby and Morningside drives. The parcels can be obtained through dedication, pur- chase or condemnation. The project is intended to make the corridor safer and more walkable while also improv- ing drainage and providing more space for residents. Timeline: summer 2023-TBD Cost: $7.1 million Funding source: city of Houston University Boulevard paving and drainage After approving the start of construc-
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Fountain View Drive exit and U-turn to the I-69 northbound main lanes, according to guidance from TxDOT. From there, drivers can access the southbound Loop 610 frontage road and main lanes. Work at the interchange is intended to improve safety and mobility in part by widening the connector ramps to two lanes, according to TxDOT. Work previously necessitated the four- month closure of the northbound I-69 connector ramp to northbound
Loop 610, which reopened in October.
A northbound Loop 610 exit ramp to Westheimer Road remains closed through around midyear. The overall $259 million project kicked o in 2017 is set to nish in 2024. The project is being funded jointly by TxDOT through its Texas Clear Lanes initiative, which is ded- icated to relieving tra c congestion and gridlock throughout the state’s highway system.
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BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • JUNE 2022
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