Traffic in Houston: West Loop expected more changes this year

The multi-year project to rebuild the interchange at IH-610 and the Southwest Expressway will focus in 2022 on the Northbound lanes of the West Loop. Motorists may have noticed more frequent closures on those lanes at night and on weekends.

Construction will not add lanes to this portion of IH-610 on US-59, so there will still be three main roads both northbound and southbound after it is rebuilt. TxDOT says safety and mobility goals include adding a shoulder and increasing visibility distance, allowing drivers to better see traffic or the wreck in front of them as they cross the bridge.
“You can see that movement,” said Danny Perez, a spokesman for TxDOT. “If there are any vehicles coming to a stop, you can see further behind, instead of coming right up and you have to make a decision at the last second.”

The massive columns, beams and decks that rise next to the existing West Loop mains are the starting point of new northbound lanes on US-59. You’ll likely be driving on those lanes later this year or early next year, with the interchange project slated for completion in 2024.