I-45 closure this weekend is called off

TxDOT still hopes to ‘stay on track’ despite the delay

A planned closing of Interstate 45 this weekend in downtown Houston has been canceled because of expected bad weather, but an overnight closure Monday has been added.

Officials have canceled a planned closing of Interstate 45 this weekend in downtown Houston because of the predicted inclement weather, but they added an overnight closure Monday night.

Project managers pulled scheduled work on the West Dallas bridge — being replaced after it was struck in September — and also nixed an unrelated lane marking project in the area. As a result, the freeway will remain open in both directions, said Danny Perez, spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation in Houston.

Instead, officials said the freeway will close in both directions at 9 p.m. Monday and reopen by 5 a.m. on Tuesday.

“We’ve been in constant contact with the weather service, and the decision was made to not go,” Perez said of the switch.

National Weather Service meteorologists predict rain will soak the Houston area for the next three days, with some torrential storms. Between 3 and 5 inches of rain are expected, with 8 to 10 inches in some spots, which could lead to coastal flooding. Damaging thunderstorms and even a tornado is possible, forecasters said.

The weekend closing was the third of four planned so workers could rebuild the West Dallas bridge. The fourth was scheduled for Dec. 9 to Dec. 12. Typically, crews close the freeway at 9 p.m. Friday and reopen it by 5 a.m. Monday.

The West Dallas bridge was struck Sept. 2 by a truck driver hauling a piece of construction equipment on the freeway. The driver was cited for the incident, one of a handful of strikes to the bridge in the past four years. The September hit forced officials to demolish and replace the span. Work started last month.

Losing this weekend to weather creates a tricky domino effect for the project. The period from Dec. 16 to Dec. 19 might be a heavy travel weekend because of the Christmas holiday the following weekend. The weekend after that is New Year’s Eve.

“We want to stay on track and get the bridge open as soon as possible,” Perez said, noting officials are considering many options for finishing the job in December, or early January.

The work affects more than just the West Dallas bridge. Completion of the span is necessary so TxDOT can reopen entrance ramps to southbound I-45 from Allen Parkway and Houston Avenue.

“We know how important this is and want to do everything we can to stay on track,” Perez said.