Monday, February 8

I-410 interchanges on the west/northwest side

Earlier this month news of $1.3 billion in halted highway fund diversions broke, and the Texas Transportation Commission announced potential projects to be funded by this money now staying on Texas highways. Some of that money will fund the bulk of a $89 million project constructing two direct connectors at the intersection of I-410 and US Hwy 90.

The new connectors will help traffic moving from eastbound Hwy 90 to northbound I-410 and from southbound I-410 to westbound US 90. Put simply, the intersection will look almost exactly like the intersection improvements currently under construction on I-410 at Hwy 151.

Work on the interchange at US 90 won't begin until late this year, at the earliest. More information on this project will be available as we get closer to project readiness. However crews have been building the two new direct connectors at Hwy 151 for three months already, so we'll address progress on that project.

Perhaps the most visible progress on the job is the rapid construction of the bridge support columns that will eventually carry the two new connectors. Williams Brothers Construction is trying to finish the column work nearest the currently closed eastbound entrance ramp from Potranco Road and the currently closed westbound exit ramp to Potranco and Military roads. Project bosses are aiming to have those ramps reopened several month ahead of the initially projected end-of-2016 date.

Right now, in fact, WB is trying to finish some work and have those ramps reopened as soon as this summer. Overnight or weekend closures will still be needed to set bridge beams and do other work overhead later on, but the ramps will be back in action sooner rather than later.

In other areas WB is pushing hard to do work along the frontage roads of I-410 between Hwy 151 and Ingram Road - most of this work involves adjusting some drain structures and preparing to adjust the footprint of the frontage road. Part of this adjustment includes a bypass lane at Military Road. Since the new connector from southbound I-410 to westbound Hwy 151 will essentially occupy the same ramp space the current exit to Hwy 151 takes, our designers worked to ensure folks heading to the retail center at that northwest quadrant of the intersection may do so effectively.

Overall completion of the new 151-410 interchange is on target for the end of 2017.