a little relief

Major 610 and 59 closures temporarily postponed due to weather

610 loop interchange Southwest Freeway Houston I-69

The work will pick up next weekend.

Photo courtesy of TxDOT

Houstonians planning for a major traffic headache have some relief—for now.

The Texas Department of Transportation announced that the upcoming, major closures of the IH 69 Northbound to IH 610 Northbound Connector, the IH 69 Southbound to IH 610 Northbound Connector, and the IH 69 Southbound Entrance Ramp from Weslayan Street have been rescheduled for next weekend.

Here is the current closing schedule for the area, per TxDOT.

IH 69 Southwest Northbound Connector to IH 610 West Loop Northbound
Closed from 9 pm Thursday, June 10 until further notice. Drivers should take the connector to IH 610 Southbound main lanes.
Take Fournace Place/Bissonnet Street exit onto IH 610 Southbound Frontage Road. Take U-turn at Bissonnet St. onto IH 610 Northbound Frontage Rd. Take the next entrance ramp onto IH 610 Northbound main lanes.

IH 69 Southwest Northbound Main Lanes at IH 610 West Loop
Closed from 9 pm Friday, June 11, to 5 am Monday, June 14. Drivers should take the connector to IH 610 Southbound main lanes. Take Fournace Place/Bissonnet Street exit onto IH 610 Southbound Frontage Road. Take a U-turn at Bissonnet Street onto IH 610 Northbound Frontage Road. Take the next entrance ramp onto IH 610 Northbound main lanes. Take the connector to IH 69 Northbound main lanes.

IH 69 Southwest Southbound Connector to IH 610 West Loop Northbound
Closed from 9 pm Monday, June 14 — until further notice. Drivers should take exit to Newcastle Dr. onto IH 69 Southbound Frontage Rd. Continue and merge ontoIH 610 Northbound Frontage Rd. Continue through Richmond Ave. Take the next entrance ramp onto IH 610 Northbound main lanes.

For the most up-to-date information, visit Houston TranStar, www.HOU610at69.com, or @HOU610at69 on Twitter.

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hey, joe

Trader Joe's sets Cypress opening date, confirms Bellaire plans

Photo courtesy of Towne Lake by Caldwell Communities Facebook page

Trader Joe's is expanding, and shoppers couldn't be happier.

Two new Houston-area communities announced that they would be opening Trader Joe's locations, bringing the total number of stores in the city to nine.

On Thursday, December 18, the Towne Lake by Caldwell Communities Facebook page posted that the new Trader Joe's at 9715 Towne Lake Parkway would open at 8 am on Friday, December 19. Unsold but still-good products left over at the ribbon cutting ceremony will be donated to local nonprofits.

"Not only does Trader Joe's have great prices on food, drinks, and treats, but as a hobby florist I always find the best selections for my floral arrangements," Copperfield resident Kelsey Zuchlewski tells CultureMap. "Now, with the convenience of having a location right here in our neighborhood, I'm in heaven."

Confirmation of the Cypress opening followed an announcement on the City of Bellaire's Facebook page that a Trader Joe's would take over the former Randall's at 5130 Bellaire Blvd. The post did not specify when construction will begin or when the location will open.

"This highly anticipated addition to our community will bring a unique grocery shopping experience and further enhance the vibrant retail landscape of Bellaire," the post said. "We look forward to welcoming Trader Joe’s and will share updates as the project progresses."

The California-based chain of stores entered Houston in 2012, first in the Woodlands and then, more famously, at the old Alabama Theater space on Shepherd, where it has become a beloved local institution. Since then, the chain has expanded throughout Houston, including a Kingwood location that opened earlier this month.

Over the year, Trader Joe's has built a loyal following that rivals even H-E-B. Staff at the stores (wearing Hawaiian shirts) are trained to be extremely friendly and helpful, as well as being encouraged to purchase ownership in the company. The selection is smaller and more curated than other larger grocery stores, leading to a boutique experience that many consider to be surprisingly affordable. At least one viral TikToker claims that Trader Joe's beats H-E-B's price, although the latter undoubtedly has a larger selection of goods.

openings trader joe's