Advice on Houston rush hour traffic and toll roads [View All]

Are the Tollways westbound much faster at rush hour? I drive through Houston on my way from Austin to Mississippi quite often, but I usually hit Houston after 9:00, so traffic is no problem (It's actually kind of fun--it's heavy enough to test your reflexes but not heavy enough to slow down!). I usually take 10 from Columbus. I've tried 290, but I have to wind up on 10 anyway, and 290 has too many small towns further back. I took 610 around the north once--once. I also

Good Friday I will hit Houston between 6:00 and 6:30 PM. I'm not looking forward to it! I've never tried the Tollway, or 610 south, or any other magical routes to the north or south. Any suggestions? I'll pop for the 10 bucks if it's faster. If there's no faster route, maybe I'll shop IKEA for an hour. :-)