HOUSTON — Heads up, Galleria-area drivers: a major ramp will be shutting down for two months starting Friday.
TxDOT will be closing the I-610 West Loop entrance ramp southbound from Westheimer and Alabama streets at 9 p.m. Friday.
Crews will be building forms, bridge columns and other foundations for a new connector ramp. It’s part of the larger redesign of the I-610/US-59 interchange, which is slated to finish in 2024.
The Hidalgo Street exit from the southbound I-610 feeder road will close permanently starting at 9 p.m. Friday.
“We understand it may be difficult for some folks trying to get through that area, but it’s going to improve mobility once we get the connector ramps,” said Danny Perez, a spokesperson for TxDOT’s Houston office. “There’s a lot of work going on in that community and that area to get folks moving.”
Drivers can still reach U.S. Highway 59 northbound and southbound from that area.
Perez says TxDOT will have detours in place. He recommends taking U.S. Highway 59 to either Weslayan St. or Chimney Rock Rd., then making a U-turn to reach I-610 southbound.
“Plan ahead,” Perez said. “If you work…or you live in the Galleria area or you’re just going to the mall or anywhere in that vicinity, shopping, going to the businesses in that community, we want to make sure you know before you go.”
TxDOT’s data from 2018 shows more than 300,000 cars passed through the I-610/US-59 area on an average day.
“The important thing is we’re doing this in phasing,” Perez said. “We’ll open certain things, close certain things, not doing it all at one time.”
Perez said TxDOT could have started the work in October but chose to wait until after the holidays.
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