League City residents who commute south on I-45 to Galveston will hit major disruptions starting Friday, Aug. 7, when TxDOT launches the next phase of its $226 million freeway expansion in Galveston County.
The most immediate impact: most southbound main lanes of I-45 from FM 519 to Tiki Drive, just north of the Galveston Causeway, will shut down from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7 to noon Saturday, Aug. 8. One lane will stay open, Houston Public Media reported July 29.
The longer-lasting change starts the same night. TxDOT is closing the ramp connecting State Highway 146 westbound to I-45 southbound near the Texas City Wye. That closure will last approximately two years.
Drivers who normally use that ramp to reach Galveston will instead cross I-45 and make a U-turn near the intersection of I-45, SH 146, and State Highway 6, according to TxDOT spokesperson Danny Perez.
Delays and modifications
TxDOT originally planned to start the work Friday, July 31, but postponed it a week after community members raised concerns about impacts on Galveston businesses during peak summer travel.
"We wanted to be mindful of any impacts for folks that are going to be traveling, especially here we are in the peak of summer," Perez said.
The agency also scaled back the overnight closure. The original plan called for shutting down I-45's southbound main lanes for an entire weekend. TxDOT cut that to roughly 15 hours. An earlier detour plan would have forced drivers north on I-45 before turning around; TxDOT modified that to the shorter U-turn route to reduce commute times.
What's being built
The project will widen I-45 to eight total lanes between FM 519 in La Marque and the Texas City Wye, and reconfigure the Wye from its current Y-shaped interchange into a diamond interchange, according to the Houston Chronicle. TxDOT says the expansion is needed to accommodate Galveston County's population growth and improve hurricane evacuation routes.
The full project is now expected to be completed by mid-2030, Perez said. That timeline has shifted from earlier estimates of 2029.
TxDOT has approximately $725 million total invested in I-45 corridor improvements in the broader Galveston area, which includes widening the Galveston Causeway bridge.
Closure dates may change due to weather or other construction needs. Drivers can check Houston TranStar for the latest road conditions and updates as work continues.
