HOUSTON – A Texas Department of Transportation project starting Friday promises to cure confusion and solve a potentially dangerous problem for commuters.
"(It's) madness with the striping," one commuter said.
The Northwest Freeway near 34th Street in both directions has a dizzying array of lane stripes, drivers said.
TxDOT confirmed the agency has received complaints about the new paint and old paint confusing some commuters.
"Safety is a top priority with TxDOT. I cannot stress that enough. So when we started to get complaints, even one complaint, is enough for us to review, and take action," said Karen Othon, TxDOT's U.S. 290 Public Information Officer.
The Northwest Freeway, from the Loop 610 to Antoine Drive, is a trouble spot for accidents. However, it is not clear whether the accidents are related to the lane strip configuration.
In 2011, there were four fatal accidents between Antoine and I-610 on 290.
The cause of a fatal accident Tuesday on 290 at Antoine is still under investigation. The confusing striped pavement is just east of the scene of the accident.
The "restripe" project begins Friday at 9 p.m. and should be completed by noon Saturday. Alternating lanes, in both eastbound and westbound directions, will be closed, fixed and reopened during the process, Othon said.