Beginning Friday, March 14, 2025, weather permitting, there will be a traffic switch on the IH 45 southbound frontage road. This change will impact the intersection with Smither Drive as part of ongoing roadwork for the construction of a new bridge. Minimal disruptions are expected, and no road closures are anticipated.
Traffic will be shifted to newly constructed pavement that aligns with the new Smither Drive intersection. The existing frontage road, which currently passes under the Smither Drive bridge, will not longer be in use.
The IH 45 southbound frontage road will continue to operate in a one-lane configuration. Traffic will continue to flow along this new frontage road and will not be required to stop at the Smither Drive intersection until the new Smither bridge is completed and opened. At that time, the intersection will be signalized. At this time, there will be no access to Smither Drive from the frontage road due to ongoing culvert work and roadway construction required before the final tie-in to Smither Drive is completed.
The traffic switch is necessary for the demolition of the existing Smither Drive Bridge and construction of the new bridge. It is 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 Walker County. The project is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2027.
