be prepared to stop

Prepare for major closures at Southwest Freeway and 610 West Loop this weekend

Expect headaches here this weekend.

Photo courtesy of TxDOT

Drivers this weekend should brace for a major closure at Houston's busiest freeways.

The Texas Department of Transportation will close all northbound and southbound mainlanes of I-69 Southwest Freeway at I-610 West Loop from 8 pm Friday, September 23 through 5 am Monday, September 26.

The work is part of the ongoing 610 West Loop/Southwest Freeway interchange project.

Work crews will continue demolition of the old 610 southbound mainlane bridge, which spans over the Southwest Freeway mainlanes. Heads up to loop motorists: The same closure will take place the following weekend starting at 8 pm Friday, September 30 and running through 5 am Monday, October 3.

To keep it interesting, more ramps are slated to close. These closures and detour information can be found at the I-610 West Loop/ I-69 Southwest Freeway interchange project website

With that in mind, drivers should expect major delays this weekend and may want to consider an alternate route (or skipping the trip). Police officers will be onsite to assist with traffic control.

As CultureMap has 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.

Thanks, Queen Bey

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

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

undefined

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.”