Houston Avenue Bridge repairs prompt weekend freeway and connector closures, with detours through Monday morning

Weekend work scheduled as part of ongoing I-10 corridor construction

Drivers traveling near downtown Houston should plan for significant traffic impacts beginning Friday night as scheduled repairs on the Houston Avenue Bridge trigger multiple closures affecting the I-10 Katy Freeway, the I-610 West Loop connection to I-10, and the bridge itself. The work is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, and continue until 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.

The Houston Avenue Bridge spans Interstate 10 and serves as a key connection between neighborhoods north of downtown and areas closer to the central business district. The weekend closure is part of ongoing maintenance and construction activity in the corridor as transportation agencies advance the larger White Oak Bayou/I-10 elevation effort planned for the area.

Closures drivers can expect from Friday night through early Monday

• I-10 Katy Freeway eastbound is scheduled to be closed from the Shepherd Drive/Durham Drive area to Houston Avenue.

• Multiple left lanes on I-10 are scheduled for closure between Antoine Drive and Shepherd Drive.

• The I-610 West Loop connector ramps to I-10 eastbound are scheduled to be closed.

• Northbound and southbound lanes on the Houston Avenue Bridge at I-10 are scheduled to be closed.

Detour routes for northbound and southbound Houston Avenue Bridge traffic

Detours are expected to reroute local traffic to nearby surface streets while the bridge is closed. Drivers heading north are expected to detour via Hogan Street to North Main Street to Quitman Street before returning to Houston Avenue. Drivers heading south are expected to detour via Quitman Street to North Fulton Street to Hogan Street before returning to Houston Avenue.

The weekend restrictions coincide with continuing construction activity in the White Oak Bayou/I-10 corridor, where additional traffic shifts and intermittent closures are anticipated as work progresses.

Longer-term changes ahead for the Houston Avenue Bridge

The weekend repairs are taking place amid broader reconstruction plans for the Houston Avenue Bridge tied to the I-10 and White Oak Bayou project. Transportation planning for the corridor includes eventual bridge reconstruction, with demolition anticipated to begin in early 2027. The broader construction timeline for the area extends beyond the bridge itself, with work expected to continue into 2028 and potentially into 2029.

Motorists who regularly use I-10 and the I-610 connector ramps near the bridge are advised to allow extra travel time, consider alternate routes, and anticipate congestion on nearby arterials during the closure window.