News Release: from the Katy Freeway Public Information Office
I-10/I-610 Traffic Switches
Tuesday, Nov 18th, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2003
PREPARING FOR THE BIG SWITCH
"I-10/I-610 Interchange Contractor on Target to Meet First Contract Milestone"
(Houston, Texas)--Anyone driving in the vicinity of the I-10/I-610 Interchange in recent weeks undoubtedly recognizes that the reconstruction is progressing swiftly. Already contractors in the area are well on their way to meeting their first major milestone for the contract. The milestone is marked by the switching of the north and southbound traffic on I-610 to the east to make room for the construction of the new southbound mainlanes. The traffic switch is necessary to maintain the existing number of lanes for through traffic in both directions. In preparation of the I-610 traffic switch, the contractor has been rehabilitating the median to carry traffic, drilling shafts and erecting columns for the new southbound mainlane bridge and placing concrete traffic barriers (CTB) on the north and southbound lanes of the freeway. Accordingly, nightly for four consecutive nights from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. starting tonight, the contractor will close alternate lanes of I-610 northbound (between San Felipe and U.S. 290) and I-610 southbound (between I-10 and Woodway) for CTB placement and initial shifting of the traffic. Additionally, two direct connectors will be reduced to one-lane ramps as part of the prep work for the "big switch." Effective tonight at 9 p.m., the I-10 eastbound direct connector to I-610 southbound will be indefinitely reduced from a two-lane ramp to a one-lane ramp until the new direct connectors are constructed and open to traffic. Similarly, effective Wednesday night at 9 p.m. the I-10 westbound direct connector to I-610 northbound will be reduced to one lane.
In addition to the on-going work in preparation for the switching of traffic, the contractor has been installing drainage system culverts and constructing the new frontage roads on the project. The contractor started work on the new southbound frontage road between I-10 and Post Oak this past weekend and in doing so has transitioned the existing frontage road traffic onto the southbound mainlanes for the next two months. Over the course of the November 21st weekend, from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Sunday, two left lanes of the northbound frontage road between Woodway and Memorial will be closed. Additionally, Memorial eastbound at I-610 will be closed as the contractor performs drainage system installations and frontage road reconstruction. For this closure eastbound traffic will be detoured south to Woodway and directed to the U-turn northbound.
By all indications, the contractor, Williams Brothers Construction Company of Houston (WB), is on target to complete the preparation work to accommodate the "big switch" within the 50 working days allotted in the contract and possibly even earlier. If indeed the contractor reaches this milestone before the target date of completion, WB will be eligible to receive an early completion incentive of $5,000 for each day that they finish early. Comparably, the contractor would be penalized that same amount for each day if the milestone deadline is not meet.
