Total Closure on I-10 Eastbound and Major Downtown Detours This Saturday

Major I-10 Closures and Downtown Construction Impact Saturday Commutes

Commuters in the Houston area should prepare for significant travel disruptions this Saturday, February 21, 2026. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has scheduled several total freeway closures and long-term project shifts that will heavily impact traffic flow through the urban core and southern corridors. If you are planning to travel through Downtown or toward the East End, allowing an additional 30 to 45 minutes of travel time is highly recommended.

I-10 Eastbound Total Closure Near Downtown

The most substantial impact today is on I-10 East (Eastbound). Crews have completely shut down the eastbound mainlanes from Shepherd Drive to Houston Avenue to perform critical repairs on the Houston Avenue bridge. This closure began Friday night and will remain in effect continuously until Monday morning at 5:00 AM. Traffic is currently heavy near the Heights as vehicles move toward detour routes.

• Detour: Eastbound motorists are being diverted to the I-10 eastbound frontage road, then directed to take the I-610 West Loop northbound to the I-610 North Loop eastbound, eventually reconnecting with I-10 East via I-45 South.
• Secondary I-10 Impacts: In addition to the mainlane closure, the I-10 Eastbound entrance ramp from US 90 is totally closed throughout the weekend. Furthermore, I-10 Westbound remains reduced to only two lanes between I-45 and Houston Avenue for the ongoing White Oak Bayou elevation project.

Downtown Infrastructure and NHHIP Progress

As part of the ongoing North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP), several surface streets and ramps in the Downtown area remain unavailable. Chartres Street is currently under a total closure from Commerce to Runnels for storm sewer installations; this section is expected to remain closed through late March. Additionally, St. Emanuel Street remains closed between Texas Avenue and Rusk Street for sanitary sewer work. Drivers navigating the east side of the central business district should utilize Emancipation Avenue or Hamilton Street as primary alternatives.

Regional Highway Alerts: La Marque and Beltway 8

Travelers heading south toward Galveston or moving through the southeast quadrant face additional hurdles today:

• La Marque: Both eastbound and westbound mainlanes at the I-45 interchange are subject to total closure from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM today. Traffic is being diverted to the frontage roads, which may cause significant stacking.
• Beltway 8 and SH-225: While the intersection of SH-225 at Beltway 8 was scheduled to reopen at 9:00 AM following overnight work, lingering congestion is reported near the Pasadena area. Northbound and southbound frontage roads near Mills Road also face single-lane closures throughout the afternoon.

Public Transit and METRO Updates

METRO Houston has reported that several local bus routes, including Route 28 (OST/Wayside) and Route 41 (Kirby/Polk), are operating on detours due to active construction zones near Southeast Transit Center and Downtown. Passengers are encouraged to check the METRO mobile app for real-time bus tracking. Notably, major system-wide schedule modifications and route changes are set to go into effect tomorrow, Sunday, February 22. Commuters are advised to review updated route maps today to avoid confusion during the Sunday transition.