Weather permitting, the IH 45 northbound main lanes will be fully closed at FM 1374 beginning on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at 8:00 PM through 5:00 AM Wednesday, February 14, 2024. The IH 45 southbound main lanes will be fully closed at FM 1374 beginning on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at 8:00 PM through 5:00 AM Thursday, February 15, 2024. These closures are necessary to safely remove the bridge deck overhangs over the IH 45 main lanes.
During the IH 45 northbound main lanes closure, all northbound traffic will exit at EXIT 114 and stay on the frontage road. Traffic will be able to re-enter IH 45 again before SH 30. During the IH 45 southbound main lanes closure, all southbound traffic will exit at EXIT 115 and stay on the frontage road. Traffic will be able to re-enter IH 45 again just south of Veteran’s Memorial Parkway.
Drivers should exercise caution and be prepared for delays. Changeable message signs will be placed to alert drivers of the closure and law enforcement officers will be utilized at intersections, entrance and exit ramps to help guide motorists through the closure. The speed limit is reduced to 60 MPH on IH-45 main lanes throughout the limits of the project. The speed limit is reduced to 40 MPH and 45 MPH on the frontage roads in the detour area and the frontage roads are reduced to one – twelve-foot-wide lane in the detour area.
These temporary closures are part of the $200 Million reconstruction of IH 45 that involves replacing the four-lane freeway with a six-lane freeway with concrete median in southern Walker County. The project is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
