traffic watch

Houston drivers should prepare for major closure on US 290

Major construction and a closure is planned for US 290.

Photo courtesy of TxDOT

Houston commuters traveling northwest have long endured construction on US 290. Now the Texas Department of Transportation has announced the last major phase of the 290 Project, as crews complete the new SH 6/FM 1960 bridge.

To complete the work, the following areas will be closed beginning at 9 pm Friday, September 6.

SH 6 northbound between Hempstead Road and US 290
Hempstead eastbound to SH 6 northbound
SH 6 northbound to Hempstead westbound
US 290 eastbound exit to Eldridge Parkway/West Road
US 290 eastbound frontage road at entrance from SH 6

Also, as part of the project, the current SH 6 bridge over Hempstead and the railroad tracks will be demolished on September 20 and 21.

Additional closures that weekend will include:

Total closure of SH 6 northbound between Jackrabbit Road and US 290. Motorists will be detoured to the SH 6 northbound direct connector to US 290 eastbound.
SH 6 southbound between US 290 and Hempstead will have one lane open during the day and will have a total closure overnight.
SH 6 southbound motorists will be detoured right on Hempstead, left on Huffmeister Road to SH 6.

TxDOT anticipates SH 6/FM 1960 bridge construction to be completed in late 2020. Work will be completed in one phase, as opposed to multiple phases, which would cost more time.

When the new SH 6/FM 1960 bridge opens, SH 6/FM 1960 through traffic will no longer travel through the signalized intersections at Hempstead, US 290, and Wortham Boulevard. Motorists will continue to have access to businesses along SH 6/FM 1960 via the frontage roads.

traffic

Unhappy holidays

Porch pirates swipe nearly $2B in packages from Texas homes this year

Porch Pirate Person in Glasses Steals Packages

Getty Images

The Grinch isn't the only one stealing Christmas these days.

’Tis the season for porch pirates. If past trends are an indicator, the Grinch will swipe close to $2 billion worth of packages delivered to Texas households this year, with many of those thefts happening ahead of the holiday season.

An analysis of FBI and survey data by ecommerce marketing company Omnisend shows porch pirates stole more than $1.8 billion worth of packages from Texans’ porches last year. Porch pirates hit nearly one-third of the state’s households in 2024, according to the analysis.

Omnisend’s analysis reveals these statistics about porch piracy in Texas:

30.1 million residential package thefts in 2024.
An average household loss of $169 per year.
An annual average of 2.9 package thefts per household.

“Most stolen items are cheap on their own, but add them up, and retailers and consumers are facing an enormous bill,” says Omnisend.

Another data analysis, this one from The Action Network sports betting platform, unwraps different figures regarding porch piracy in Texas.

The platform’s 2025 Porch Pirate Index ranks Texas as the state with the highest volume of residential thefts, based on 2023-24 FBI data.

Researchers at The Action Network uncovered 26,293 reports of personal property thefts at Texas residences during that period. The network’s survey data indicates 5 percent of Texas residents had a package stolen in the three months before the pre-holiday survey.

The Porch Pirate Index calculates a 25.8 percent risk of a Texas household being victimized by porch pirates, putting it in the No. 5 spot among states with the highest risk of porch piracy.

The Action Network included online-search volume for terms like “package stolen” and “porch pirates.” Sustained spikes in these searches suggest that “people are actively looking for guidance after something has happened. Search trends serve as an early warning system, revealing emerging-risk areas well before annual crime statistics are released,” the network says.

Tips to avoid being a victim
So, how do you prevent porch pirates from snatching packages that end up on your porch? Omnisend, The Action Network and Amazon offer these eight tips:

Closely monitor deliveries and quickly retrieve packages.
Schedule deliveries for times when you’ll be home.
Use delivery lockers or in-store pickup when possible.
Ask delivery services to hide packages in out-of-sight spots outside your home.
Install a visible doorbell camera or security camera.
Coordinate deliveries with neighbors or building managers if you’ll be away from your home when packages are supposed to arrive.
Request that delivery services hold your packages if you can’t be home when they’re scheduled to come.
Illuminate the path to your doorstep and keep porch lights on.

holidays porch pirates crime