Closures along Interstate 10 the Katy Freeway are part of a construction project that will help create more room for traffic, but have been creating problems for many UH commuters from Katy and surrounding areas.
The Texas Department of Transportation announced Friday that more exits along the Katy Freeway would be closed for an undetermined amount of time.
"A trip that should take 20 minutes now takes 45 minutes in the morning," education freshman Loren Kirby said.
Although morning and evening drivers are experiencing longer traffic commutes, I-10 is expected to be congestion free within a few years.
Construction on I-10 began in 2003 to address traffic congestion in the area and will end in 2009, according to the Katy Freeway Web site www.katyfreeway.org.
Commuters like Kirby said that her morning commute from Katy to the University has become a hassle. She said there are some ways to get around the heavy traffic on I-10, but that it is "a pain in the butt" to find detours.
Originally built in the 1960’s when the area was still undeveloped, the Katy Freeway was in need of renovations, according to the site.
The Katy Freeway has a daily traffic of approximately 200,000 cars, according to the Katy Freeway Web site.
Maintenance costs that include freeway repaving have gone up to $7.9 million, or nearly $200,000 per mile every year, according to the Web site. The construction project will replace old concrete and bring down the cost of maintenance.
Biology sophomore Bilal Khan said he can’t figure out why traffic is so slow on his commute from Dayton.
"It shouldn’t be like this," Khan said. "I don’t see any reason why it’s so slow."
Khan said that he could take an earlier exit, but doesn’t want to deal with all of the traffic signals.
Areas of the road such as the eastbound exit ramp to Wilcrest Drive and Bunker Hill Road will be closed until further notice.
Other closures along I-10 include the eastbound entrance ramp from Eldridge Parkway will also be completely closed until further notice, according to the site.
People have voiced their opinions on Web sites such as www.houstonarchitecture.info.
One member wrote, "Somebody wake me up when they finish the Katy Freeway. On second thought, don’t bother. I’ll probably be long gone by that time."
Despite the negative feedback of the closures, commuters are advised to find detours and to avoid peak traffic hours by the Texas Department of Transportation.
