HOUSTON – A traffic alert for drivers in Houston, several overnight closures are scheduled along the Katy Freeway as part of a major construction project aimed at reducing flood risk.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, crews will begin a series of closures tied to the I-10 White Oak Bayou Elevation Project starting Tuesday night.
Beginning at 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, the westbound I-10 exit ramp to Taylor Street will be completely shut down through 5 a.m. Thursday, April 9. Drivers will be detoured to the Patterson Street exit, where they can make a U-turn and use the eastbound frontage road to reach Taylor Street.
Additional closures will begin at 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 8. Those include a lane closure along westbound I-10 between Heights Boulevard and North Main Street, as well as a full closure of the westbound entrance ramp from Louisiana Street.
Drivers trying to access I-10 westbound from Louisiana Street will need to detour by turning right on Franklin Street, then left on Travis Street to merge onto I-45 northbound before reconnecting to I-10.
Also impacted is the I-45 northbound connector ramp to I-10 Katy Freeway, which will be closed during the same overnight window. Motorists will instead continue north on I-45, take the connector to I-610 West, and then reconnect to I-10.
All closures are expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Thursday.
The traffic switch will move westbound lanes onto a newly constructed bridge and is part of a larger $400 million project to raise I-10 above the floodplain near White Oak Bayou. The project also includes rebuilding HOV lanes and reconstructing the Houston Avenue bridge.
TxDOT says the project is on schedule for completion in 2028, but drivers should expect changing traffic patterns and are urged to follow detour signs and use caution in the area.