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Wednesday, November 2

Big (temporary) traffic change for the 151-410 project

Beginning Monday and running until next spring the northbound I-410 exit ramp to Culebra Road will close while Williams Brothers works on the widening of the main lanes of I-410 and the frontage road, and reconstructs the new northbound exit ramp.
Well, that was a big ol' paragraph with a lot of information. Here's the break-down:

Closure
For those only worried about their commutes come Nov. 7, here's the must-know item: the northbound exit ramp to Culebra Road will close until spring 2017. You've got two options here, and depending on the traffic situation you may have a preference to think through.
Option one (our official option) is to exit Ingram Road, turn around at Ingram and return to Culebra on the southbound frontage road of I-410. The distance here makes this seem scary, and morning rush traffic may make approaching the Ingram intersection seem daunting. However, you'll find traffic in that left lane approaching Ingram is light and you have a dedicated turnaround to help you avoid the signal.
Option two is to exit Hwy 151 and pass through the Hwy 151 and Military Drive intersections, then continue on the frontage road to Culebra. If you hit the signals just right and traffic is light, this option may be viable - but it's not our top recommendation.
Bonus option: something of your own construct. Let's face it ... it's 2016. You've likely got a digital GPS giving you traffic updates in real time. You'll find an alternate route that's not listed here. If so, congratulations!

Why the closure
The short version is we're widening the main lanes and frontage road to accept the new direct connector to northbound I-410 from eastbound Hwy 151, which is why we've got that bridge work over Huebner Creek going right now. This exit ramp is scheduled to be shut down anyway, replaced with a ramp located around the current entrance from Military Drive. That means those trying to exit and get to that McDonald's right there won't have to bust over so many lanes so quickly any more - when we're all done, that is.
That ramp will be what's called a braided ramp; that is, the new exit ramp will bridge over the current entrance ramp from Military (so we're not moving the ramp from Military...). 
Still unclear? Check this footprint schematic out for a clearer picture.