Drivers brace for lengthy closures along I-10 in Downtown Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Another seismic change for drivers is happening along I-10 near Downtown Houston. For months, drivers west of downtown have dealt with major traffic tie-ups due to construction on Interstate-10. The White Oak Bayou project is designed to raise the mainlanes of I-10 to avoid bayou flooding which shuts down the highway during major storms.

More lanes and two ramps are closing this week. The closures will last until the middle of 2026, and in some cases will last even longer, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

TxDOT has outlined the following plans:

Thursday, December 4, 2025
Starting at 10 p.m., TxDOT is closing the connector ramp from I-10 eastbound to I-45 northbound. The ramp will remain closed for the duration of the project until mid-2028. A second ramp also closes Thursday night from I-45 southbound to I-10 westbound. It’s expected to re-open in mid-2026.

Drivers should also know that the HOV at this interchange will not allow you to exit to I-10 westbound once the ramps close, but TxDOT says you can still get in and out of downtown on the HOV, even after all of these new closures take effect.

Friday, December 5, 2025
Starting Friday night, I-10 westbound will see more restrictive lane closures. TxDOT will close all of the I-10 westbound mainlanes between I-45 and Taylor from Friday at 10 p.m. until Monday at 5 a.m. This is so crews can reconfigure the mainlanes. When it re-opens on Monday, I-10 will be reduced to two lanes from I-45 to Houston Avenue. TxDOT says beyond Houston Avenue, drivers will continue to see the existing three-lane configuration to Studemont. This allows TxDOT to complete the construction of the elevated westbound mainlanes. These lane closures will last until at least mid-2026.

This 400 million dollar project also includes the reconstruction of the Houston Avenue bridge.