be prepared to stop

Painful major closure at 610/59 means months of traffic headaches

610 loop interchange Southwest Freeway Houston I-69

These closures mean long-term traffic congestion.

Photo courtesy of TxDOT

Houstonians will soon have to face a major traffic headache on one of the busiest intersections in the U.S.

The Texas Department of Transportation announced two major closures which promise major traffic implications.

Starting 9 pm Thursday, June 3, TxDOT crews will close the Southwest Freeway northbound connector ramp to I-610 West Loop northbound.

This ramp will be closed in mid-summer for approximately six months to make room for the construction of the new ramp, per a press release. TxDot anticipates that the new connector will be completed early next year.

Next, starting at 9 pm on June 7, TxDOT crews will close the I-69 Southwest Freeway southbound connector ramp to I-610 West Loop northbound. TxDOT notes that this even longer-term closure is anticipated to last until late 2021; that’s when the when the new I-69 Southwest Freeway southbound connector ramp to I-610 West Loop northbound will be opened.

Importantly for drivers in the area: Traffic will be detoured to take the Newcastle Drive exit. Drivers should continue along the I-69 southbound frontage road, merge onto the I-610 northbound frontage road, and take the entrance ramp onto the I-610 West Loop northbound mainlanes.

Not surprisingly, TxDOT warns that of additional impacts during construction including the closure of entrance and exit ramps. Motorists should expect delays and may want to consider an alternate route. As always, police will be onsite to assist with traffic control.

As previously reported, this $259 million I-69/I-610 interchange project is meant to improve mobility by widening the connector ramps to two lanes, increasing sight distances, and providing remedies to eliminate weaving.

All information will be posted at Houston TranStar and at www.HOU610at69.com, as well as @HOU610at69 on Twitter.

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in this economy?

This is the salary you need to live comfortably in Houston in 2026

money, salary, income to live comfortably, SmartAsset

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Single Houstonians need to make a little more than $82,000 to live comfortably in the city, the report found.

A 2026 report analyzing how much it costs to live "in sustainable comfort" in the biggest U.S. cities has found Houston residents have the 11th lowest salary requirement to live a comfortable life in 2026.

SmartAsset's annual report found single adult residents in Houston need to make $89,981 a year to qualify as "financially stable." Compared to last year, single Houstonians needed to make $83 more to live comfortably in the city.

Families with two working parents and two children need to make a household income of $204,672 to have a financially stable life in Houston, the report found. That's almost $2,000 less than what families needed to make last year.

To determine the rankings, SmartAsset's analysts examined 100 of the largest U.S. cities and used the latest cost of living data – such as the costs for housing, food, transportation, and income taxes where applicable – from the MIT Living Wage Calculator for childless individuals and for two working adults with two children.

For the purpose of the study, the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy was used to determine "comfortable lifestyle" costs for both individuals and families: 50 percent of income to cover needs and living expenses, 30 percent for "wants," and 20 percent for savings or paying down debt.

Here's breakdown of a Houston resident's comfortable lifestyle based on SmartAsset's findings:

$44,991 dedicated to needs and living expenses
$26,994 dedicated to wants
$17,996 dedicated to savings or debt repayment

This is SmartAsset's interpretation of a comfortable lifestyle for families of four:

$102,336 dedicated to needs and living expenses
$61,402 dedicated to wants
$40,934 dedicated to savings or debt repayment

SmartAsset said single individuals and families should compare the fluctuating local cost of living and their long-term goals to fully "understand the context" of their respective household incomes. But it's worth pointing out that a financially stable life in Houston isn't quite attainable for many residents: The city had a median household income of $64,361 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Comfortable salaries in other Texas cities
Elsewhere in Texas, the report found that families in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs Frisco and McKinney "are closest to a comfortable salary."

"In Frisco, [Texas], the median household earns $145,444 – substantially higher than the national median of $83,730," the report's author wrote. "This figure also accounts for 63.1 percent of the $230,464 income a family of four in Frisco needs to live comfortably. In McKinney, TX, the $124,177 median household income accounts for 53.9 percent of the $230,464 needed."

Both cities also tied with Plano for the 29th highest salary needed nationally to live comfortably in 2026. Single adults living in these cities need to make $109,242 a year to live a financially stable life this year.

On the opposite end, San Antonio has the lowest salaries needed to live comfortably in the U.S. Single adults only need to make $83,242 a year, and $192,608 for families of four.

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