Weekend I-69 work shifts northbound

On Saturday, TxDOT will see you on the flip side.

After three weekends of closings along southbound Interstate 69 at Loop 610 near The Galleria, crews will close northbound lanes from Chimney Rock to Weslayan, starting at 5 a.m. Saturday, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, officials said.

Traffic will be able to move from northbound I-69 to both northbound and southbound Loop 610, but officials are urging people to plan for longer travel times and to avoid the area if possible.

All of the closings have been related to preparing foundations for new ramps to and from Loop 610, which are crucial parts of the $259 million rebuild of the interchange, entering its second year of work. Officials in a statement said the project, when completed in 2023, “will significantly enhance safety and improve mobility by widening the connector ramps to two lanes, increasing sight distances, and providing remedies to eliminate weaving.

In the interim, various closings have complicated traffic on the freeway and along key frontage roads.

For the weekend closing, TxDOT officials said traffic should detour south on Loop 610 to the Bellaire exit, use the U-turn at Bellaire Boulevard to go north on the Loop 610 frontage road to Westpark Drive. From there, drivers can take Westpark eastbound to Weslayan and rejoin I-69 from the frontage road.

In a related action, the Harris County Toll Road Authority will close the Westpark Tollway’s eastbound Post Oak exit ramp for a month while TxDOT crews work on the interchange. The closure begins at 10 p.m. Friday and the exit will reopen at 5 a.m. September 23.