freedom!
Celebrate smoother 610 West Loop traffic as long-closed bridge at Southwest Freeway finally reopens
The long-closed bridge at 610 and Southwest Freeway reopens Monday, July 17.
For nearly five full years, drivers on the 610 West Loop and the Southwest Freeway have endured lane closures and nonstop construction. Now, commuters and motorists can celebrate a big change.
The Texas Department of Transportation will open the newly crafted southbound mainlanes of the West Loop bridge over the I-69 Southwest Freeway on Monday, July 17. Elissa Rivas of CultureMap news partner ABC13 broke the story first on Wednesday, July 12.
Notably, this reopening is ahead of the initial schedule TxDOT estimated.
As for the timeline, construction crews will close the West Loop southbound at the Southwest Freeway at 8 pm Friday July 14 to stripe the lanes and prepare the new southbound bridge for traffic.
Commuters will then be able to travel the brand-new lanes and bridge at 5 am, Monday July 17, Rivas reports.
Drivers can enjoy even more flow: TxDOT will also reopen West Loop entrance ramp from Westheimer Road, which has been closed for several months as part of this ongoing construction.
Meanwhile, TxDOT will demolish the old West Loop bridge at a later date, per Rivas.
This mainlane reopening is a crucial step in freeing up 610 traffic and completing the West Loop/Southwest Freeway interchange project. As CultureMap has regularly reported, the I-69/I-610 interchange project is a $259 million endeavor aimed at significantly enhancing safety and improving mobility by widening the connector ramps to two lanes, increasing sight distances, and providing remedies to eliminate weaving.
Before departing, drivers can get updates at the Houston TranStar website and at the I-610 W. Loop/I-69 SW Freeway Interchange website. Follow the HOU 610 at 69 Twitter page for updates and more information.
