be prepared to stop

Prepare for major lane closures at 610 West Loop and Southwest Freeway

610 loop interchange Southwest Freeway Houston I-69

Plan for major lanes closures.

Photo courtesy of TxDOT

Houstonians traveling the 610 Loop this weekend should be prepared to meet closed lanes at the I-69 Southwest Freeway. Those mainlanes will be shut to commuters between S. Rice Avenue and 610 from Friday, March 5 at 9 pm through Monday, March 8 at 5 am.

This work is part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s ongoing 610 West Loop/Southwest Freeway interchange project.

Work crews will demolish the old 610 West Loop northbound ramp to the Southwest Freeway southbound, as well as the old 610 West Loop southbound connector ramp to IH 69 Southwest Freeway northbound, per a press release. Both ramps span over the mainlanes of I-69 Southwest Freeway.

The agency promises that the new 610 West Loop northbound connector to the Southwest Freeway southbound will open “later this week.” Drivers will note that the new 610 West Loop southbound connector ramp to the Southwest Freeway northbound is now open.

As always, motorists should expect delays and should consider an alternate route. Police officers will be onsite to assist with traffic control, according to TxDOT.

When work is complete, this $259 million project is meant to “significantly enhance safety and improve mobility by widening the connector ramps to two lanes, increasing sight distances, and providing remedies to eliminate weaving,” according to TxDOT.

The agency adds that the project has incentives and disincentives to encourage the contractor to complete various phases sooner than anticipated.

Those looking to stay up-to-date on closures, construction, and more on 610 and the Southwest Freeway should visit Houston TranStar’s dedicated site or
www.HOU610at69.com. Follow @HOU610at69 on Twitter for updates and information on the project.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”