New HOT Lanes Open in Houston

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County opened a new segment of HOT lanes, open to carpools and toll paying solo drivers, on U.S. 290 in Houston this week.

1 minute read

December 17, 2019, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Highway 290 Construction

Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock

Six new miles of HOT lanes opened on U.S. 290 in Houston on Monday, reports Dug Begley.

"Starting at 5 a.m. Monday, the carpool lane, open to toll-paying solo occupants for part of the peak inbound and outbound commuting times, will run from near Mason Road northwest of Cypress to Loop 610. The end of the line now is just past Huffmesiter Road," explains Begley.

The latest segment of new HOT lane capacity "is among the last parts of the $2.1 billion rebuild of U.S. 290 that socked traffic in northwest Houston for more than six years," according to Begley.

According to data from Houston TranStar, the openings of new HOT lane capacity on U.S. 290 have dramatically improved travel times compared to 2015, even as more people have used the highway. "The new lanes have not cured all ills, however. Evening trips have remained roughly the same duration, according to the TranStar data," according to Begley.

Friday, December 13, 2019 in Houston Chronicle

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