Major Changes to be Made on Highway 190 in Killeen - 12 News KBMT and K-JAC. News, Weather and Sports for SE Texas

(KCEN) -- Traffic on 190 is about to get much worse before it gets better.

Tomorrow night from 7:00 pm - 5:00 am, TxDOT will close off Willow Springs Bridge and bridge traffic will be reduced to one lane.

That's not good news for Alex Medley who takes that bridge everyday.

"It's gonna make it a lot harder. My only other option, if I can't take the bridge on Willow Springs, is I have to go all the way to Fort Hood Street and turn around," Medley said.

Throughout the week TxDOT will be closing lanes to work on the $55-million expansion project that will stretch from Fort Hood's main gate to the Willow Springs exit.

According to TxDOT employee Ken Roberts, "This is a major project for this community, for the great Fort Hood area. It's going to benefit the flow of traffic on and off of Fort Hood as well as through Killeen."

TxDOT is trying to minimize making traffic worse by working overnight.  But some soldiers who try to get to Fort Hood by 5 A.M. say even then there is traffic.

The entire project will take two years to complete, that's two more years of construction and road closures.

"It's frustrating to know it's gotta get worse before it gets better. But staying worse for two years until it gets better? I don't know if that's all worth one more lane of traffic," Medley said.

To make sure that the expansion goes as safe as possible the city of Killeen has agreed to lower the Frontage Road's speed limits by 5 mph.

On Tuesday one lane of eastbound 190 will be closed from Clear Creek to Willow Springs.

On Wednesday workers will close the Willow Springs exit ramp and the right lane of Spur 172.

And each side of 190 will have one lane closed on Thursday from Willow Springs to Highway 195.