Houston TranStar officials are advising the public that four main lanes of US 59 the Southwest Freeway southbound at S. Rice are closed because of emergency pavement repair work.

Although work has been completed, the on-and-off rains have prevented the cement from curing, so lanes cannot be reopened.

The situation is expected to continue through the rush period. Traffic is backed up to the downtown area, and travelers are strongly urged to consider taking an alternate route.

Houston TranStar is a consortium of four government agencies that coordinate and enhance transportation and emergency management services, responding to incidents and emergencies in Harris County and beyond. Sharing their resources to serve area residents are: the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Harris County, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) and the City of Houston.