Drivers along U.S. 290 are getting an early Christmas gift with the opening of more lanes along the massive freeway-widening project.

By 5 a.m. Monday, crews expect to have another eastbound lane from Eldridge Parkway to Barker-Cypress Road open, along with an additional westbound lane from FM 1960 to FM 529.

Crews also will extend the U.S. 290 HOT lane another 2.5 miles from its current terminus west of Eldridge. The entrance and exit at Eldridge, as of Monday morning, will close and be replaced by a new entrance and exit west of Huffmeister, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

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When open, that will give drivers in the area four eastbound and five westbound lanes, a far cry from the narrow three-lane route many endured for years, along with various entrances and exits along the route. A second exit lane also will open along westbound U.S. 290 to Texas 6 and FM 1960, which often is clogged during the commuting rush.

The openings are the most recent in a spate of new segments completed between Loop 610 and Waller County. The 38 miles of freeway, at a construction cost of $1.8 billion, were the largest project in the region, starting in 2011. Since April, new segments have opened every few weeks, with some weather-related delays, giving commuters some relief.

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As new lanes opened, traffic speeds along the freeway improved. Eastbound between 34th and Loop 610, average speeds around 8 a.m. improved from 25 mph in 2014, to nearly 50 mph in the past three months, according to Houston TranStar data. Speeds from Pinemont to 34th also have improved since lanes opened.

The upcoming openings, however, come with a dose of pain for drivers. Starting at 8 p.m. Friday, crews will close two lanes of the eastbound freeway from Telge to Eldridge. Entrances at Barker Cypress, Telge, Huffmeister, and Texas 6/FM 1960 will be closed for the weekend, along with the Huffmeister, Texas 6/FM 1960 and Eldridge exits.

Westbound, workers will close two main lanes from FM 529 to Eldridge, along with the exit to Texas 6/FM 1960.

Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes or simply avoid the area, as TxDOT officials expect delays.

Though officials will celebrate substantial completion of the project Saturday at a community festival, orange cones will continue to be a familiar site along the freeway.

“We have a little bit more than frontage road work and the FM 1960 bridge to complete next year,” said Deidrea George, spokeswoman for TxDOT in Houston.

Lane closures will continue for the final two weekends of the year, George said, though no new openings are planned.

dug.begley@chron.com

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