Traffic shifting on U.S. 290 this weekend as road work continues

An overview of the construction from northbound Loop 610 to westbound U.S. 290 on May 11. Workers are rebuilding the interchange, as well as widening U.S. 290 to Waller County. An overview of the construction from northbound Loop 610 to westbound U.S. 290 on May 11. Workers are rebuilding the interchange, as well as widening U.S. 290 to Waller County. Photo: Houston Chronicle Photo: Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 45 Caption Close Traffic shifting on U.S. 290 this weekend as road work continues 1 / 45 Back to Gallery

Drivers in northwest Houston this weekend should prepare for some significant detours along U.S. 290 near the Sam Houston Tollway, transportation officials said.

Crews rebuilding the segment of U.S. 290 from Pinemont to FM 529 are ready to shift westbound traffic to the new lanes so they can work in the center of the freeway, according to a statement from the Texas Department of Transportation. As a result of the work shift and the opening of a new connection to the Sam Houston Tollway, westbound lanes of U.S. 290 and various ramps will close at 9 p.m. Friday and not reopen until 5 a.m. Monday.

“Motorists should expect heavy delays and are strongly encouraged to seek alternate routes,” TxDOT officials said in the statement.

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Police will be monitoring the frontage road and directing traffic if necessary to eliminate severe backups.

Westbound traffic will be diverted off U.S. 290 at Fairbanks North Houston and can reenter past FM 529. Drivers also will have to use the frontage roads to transition from westbound U.S. 290 to the Sam Houston Tollway, and to transition from the tollway to U.S. 290 in all directions.

The tollway ramp closings are related to problems some of the transitions have caused in the past and the need to maintain safety, TxDOT spokeswoman Karen Othon said.

“On a previous closure when we had the tollway exit closed to westbound U.S. 290, drivers were detouring to the eastbound exit causing backups on the tollway,” Othon said. “Some drivers were turning around and going the wrong way on the ramp to avoid sitting in traffic.”

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During the weekend closures, all drivers will have access westbound to the HOT lane along U.S. 290. Metropolitan Transit Authority, which manages the lane, agreed to open it from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The HOT lane is accessible from Interstate 10 near Washington Avenue, the Northwest Transit Center on Old Katy Road and the southbound frontage road along Loop 610 near Hempstead.

On Monday, the connection from westbound U.S. 290 to the Sam Houston Tollway will move to a new collector-distributor, running parallel to the freeway. It is similar to the way traffic moves from eastbound U.S. 290 to Interstate 10, setting the exit farther back.

Following the weekend of work, westbound traffic will be in a temporary configuration for six weeks where the inner-most lane will continue and the two outside lanes will merge onto the new collector-distributor for about one mile, then merge back to the main lanes.

The work is related to the widening of U.S. 290 from Loop 610 to Waller, set to wrap up later next year. Plans call for five lanes in each direction from Loop 610 to Texas 6, and four lanes in each direction from Texas 6 to FM 2920, with a single managed lane for carpools, transit and toll-paying solo drivers, at a cost of $1.8 billion.