be prepared to stop

Prepare for yet another major closure at the Southwest Freeway and 610 West Loop

Expect closures at the Loop this weekend.

Photo courtesy of TxDOT

Loop-bound weekend drivers should prep for another traffic headache.

The Texas Department of Transportation will close southbound and northbound mainlaines on the Southwest Freeway (69) at Loop 610 West from Friday, July 15 at 9 pm until Monday, July 18 at 5 am, the organization announced.

Drivers can keep up with progress and find detours here.

While crews continue construction on the new I-610 northhbound mainlane bridge over I-69, this weekend work will allow for the reopening of the 610 West Loop northbound exit to Westheimer, per TxDOT. Frustrated drivers are well aware that this exit has been closed since January.

Importantly, crews will also close the mainlanes of the Southwest Freeway southbound at 610 West Loop each night this weekend (during the I-610 West Loop mainlane closure) from 9 pm until 5 am.

Police officers will be hand to direct traffic. Motorists should expect delays, check their favorite navigation app before leaving, and alternate routes.

As CultureMap has previously reported, all this work is part of the $159 million I-610 West Loop/ I-69 Southwest Freeway Interchange project. The goal is to significantly enhance safety and improve mobility by widening the connector ramps to two lanes, increasing sight distances, and providing remedies to eliminate weaving, per TxDOT.

Those interested can find road closure information at www.houstontranstar.org and at www.HOU610at69.com. Twitter users can follow @HOU610at69 and @TxDOTHouston for the latest updates.

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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.”

be prepared to stop

Prepare for yet another major closure at the Southwest Freeway and 610 West Loop

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Thanks, Queen Bey

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

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
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