TxDOT has announced that FM-646
will reopen to east/west traffic in the next two to three weeks, possibly by
the beginning of July. The reconstruction of the roadway was supposed to last until
September, but thankfully it will be done nearly two months early.
The
FM-646 bridge was demolished in early March in order to reconstruct the road
where it intersects the Gulf Freeway. The work is part of a large scale I-45
expansion project designed
to improve mobility for motorists while reducing congestion and improving
safety along this heavily traveled corridor. When the work is complete,
FM-646 will travel under the Gulf Freeway main lanes. The
reconfiguring or FM 646 and I-45 also includes the addition of bi-directional
access roads and U-turn lanes which will improve access to surrounding
businesses and homes plus reduce traffic congestion.
When FM 646 opens in the next few
weeks, there still will be construction work happening along the Gulf Freeway
main lanes and in the surrounding areas as construction crews work to widen the
stretch of I-45 between FM 518 to FM 517.
