Project Overview
The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) reconstruction of the IH 610-West Loop encompasses almost a five-mile stretch of highway, from US 59-Southwest Freeway to IH 10-Katy Freeway. The reconstruction included the renovation of the existing main lanes and frontage roads, the addition of new entrances and exits and the creation of HOT LINKS. These HOT LINKS (740k PDF) provide direct and exclusive access into and out of Uptown, while removing traffic from the West Loop main lanes, helping to dramatically reduce congestion.

More Lanes, More Choices
The $225 million reconstruction of the West Loop, combined with other regional mobility improvements and local mobility improvements provides motorists with "More Lanes, More Choices," making Uptown one of Houston's most accessible and convenient locations in the city. For example the new West Loop results in a 25 percent increase in lane miles and the increase in movement and capacity is far greater because the improvements ease congestion where it counts: at the bottlenecks like IH 610 and US 59 and IH 610 and IH 10.

The project delivers a number of additional positive improvements to the Houston transportation system:

• At US 59 and the West Loop where there were 16 lanes, there are now 24 lanes, which include two tollway lanes at Richmond.
• At the West Loop and I-10, where there were 15 lanes, there are now a total of 20 lanes.
• New West Loop frontage roads under US 59.
• Direct access to the new Westpark Tollway.

Strategic Partnership
TxDOT and Uptown Houston formed a strategic partnership to ensure that the West Loop project was managed in the best possible way to minimize the effects on commuters and Uptown residents, workers and visitors. In addition, Uptown Houston implemented its own traffic/construction management program to monitor contractor activities and ensure that traffic disruption was minimized. Uptown Houston initiated a public information program to continuously alert Houstonians of what is happening and provide drivers with the necessary tools and information to guide them such as real-time information on closures and alternate routes in and out of the area.
For more information, visit www.dot.state.tx.us or e-mail us at uptownhouston@uptown-houston.com.