HOUSTON – There's a big traffic alert this weekend on the northwest side of town.
If you want to take Highway 290 from the 610 West Loop north, you'll have to go right to go left; that's the opposite of what you would normally do.
The Texas Department of Transportation is relocating the 290 exit at the 610 West Loop from the left side of the freeway to the right side of the freeway (see the diagram in the photo below; app users, click here).
So drivers going north on the West Loop will need to get in the far right lanes to take the connector ramp to the Northwest Freeway.
The detour will start Friday at 9 p.m. and end at noon on Sunday.
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The changes means the three alternating main lanes will be closed on the West Loop northbound from I-10 to W. 18th Street.
Officials said the traffic switch will be completed in two phases, starting with work on the outside lines.
Phase One:
- The exit ramp to U.S. 290 will remain open, along with one lane continuing to I-610 North Loop eastbound.
- I-10 Katy Freeway westbound connector to I-610 West Loop northbound will be closed. Motorists will be detoured to I-610 southbound, exit at Woodway/Memorial and U-turn to I-610 northbound.
- There will be intermittent closures on the I-610 North Loop westbound connector to US 290. Motorists will be detoured to the US 290 frontage road at the Dacoma exit and can re-enter the freeway past W. 34th.
Phase Two:
- The U.S. 290 exit ramp will open in its new configuration on the right side of the freeway.
- I-610 West Loop northbound connector to I-610 North Loop eastbound will be closed. Motorists will be detoured to the W. 18th exit, continue on the frontage road and re-enter the freeway past T.C. Jester.
TX-DOT officials said once the project is completed drivers will have six lanes from I-10 to U.S. 290 including two outside lanes exiting to U.S. 290, three inside lanes continuing to I-610 and a center lane exiting to W. 18th Street near the U.S. 290 exit.