TxDOT Widening Ramp on Loop 306 and Houston Harte Expressway for Safer Merges

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Texas Department of Transportation is adding an accessory lane to the cloverleaf ramp on Loop 306 and the Houston Harte Expressway to give drivers more room to accelerate and decelerate before merging onto main lanes. 

A TxDOT representative explained in a video update posted this week that the current ramp design forces traffic to merge immediately onto the main lanes, creating conflict points. The new pavement width will provide extra distance for vehicles entering or exiting the loop near the Arden Road exit, allowing drivers to reach highway speeds instead of merging at about 45 mph. 

Crews are using a “notch and wide” method, cutting into the existing pavement and building out the wider structure. Crews have primed the base on the new accessory lane, and it is now curing. Milling for transitions ahead of a pavement overlay is scheduled for later this summer.

The project also includes lowering the main lanes under the Bell Street Bridge to improve clearance for trucks and upgrading bridge rails for safety. TxDOT is evaluating additional options, including changes to yield signs on frontage roads and possible accessory lanes or other safety improvements at other entrances. 

In April, TxDOT closed the Houston Harte Expressway entrance from Sherwood Way beginning April 27 as part of the ongoing work and warned of minor delays. TxDOT urged motorists to slow down and stay alert in the work zone, noting that traffic barriers may make lanes feel narrower. The agency said work continues even when crews are not visibly present on site.