I-10 White Oak Bayou elevation project

Aerial view of construction at I-10 westbound mainlanes & frontage road pavement and bridges

2nd Quarterly project update - January 2026

Work continues to move forward on Phase 1 of the I-10 White Oak Bayou Elevation Project. Since the last quarterly update, construction along the I-10 westbound mainlanes between I-45 and Studemont has progressed with several notable advancements.

Planned improvements include elevating the existing I-10 mainlanes from Heights Blvd to I-45 to eliminate flood risk from the White Oak Bayou. This will also include the removal of the current Houston Avenue Bridge that will be reconstructed to run under I-10 mainlanes to eliminate further bridge strikes.

We are currently in Phase 1 Step 3:

Construction of the I-10 westbound mainlanes & frontage road pavement and bridges, including foundations/drilled shafts, columns, bents, bridge beams, bridge deck, subgrade stabilization, and concrete paving.
Construction of the I-45 Southbound to I-10 Westbound direct connector.
Construction of the I-45 Southbound High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) direct connector.
Construction of new Shared use path (SUP) along north side of the project.

Please note that for safety concerns with the ongoing project, the new SUP segments will not open to the public due to current construction equipment traffic.

Current closures in place:

Longterm:

I-10 westbound mainlanes between I-45 and Taylor St: Reduced to 2 through lanes.
I-45 northbound connector ramp to I-10 westbound reduced to 1 lane.

Intermittent:

Nighttime closures of alternating I-10 entrance/exit ramps for bridge work and concrete paving work.
Nighttime total closure of Studemont St., Taylor St, Houston Ave and the I-10 westbound frontage road between Studemont St. and Heights, for bridge and concrete paving work.

Major closures until Summer 2026 (Date subject to change):

I-10 westbound mainlanes between I-45 and Houston Ave: Reduced to 2 lanes estimated until Summer 2026.

Total closure of I-45 southbound direct connector to I-10 westbound, including the HOV lane estimated until Summer 2026.

Detour(s):

I-45 southbound traffic north of the I-610 Loop:

Motorists will use the I-45 southbound direct connector to I-610 eastbound. Continue east on the I-610 mainlanes and use the direct connector to US 59 southbound. Continue south on the US 59 mainlanes and use the direct connector to I-10 westbound.

I-45 southbound traffic within the I-610 Loop:

Motorists will use the I-45 southbound connector ramp to I-10 eastbound. Continue east on the I-10 mainlanes and exit at McKee Street/Hardy Street. Continue east to Hardy Street and turn left. Continue north on Hardy Street to Providence Street and turn left. Continue on Providence Street and use the entrance ramp to I-10 westbound.

I-45 southbound HOV lane traffic:

Motorists will take the next exit to Milam Street, continue to Franklin Street and turn right. Continue on Franklin Street to Louisiana Street, turn right, and continue to I-10 westbound.

We continue to make great progress with the I-10 White Oak Bayou elevation project. Each day we work with the contractor to take every opportunity to accelerate work where we can.

The goal is to complete this project as quickly as possible while also minimizing impacts to the traveling public. Remember to get closure information for this project at Houston TranStar - Road Construction and follow TxDOT Houston on X, Facebook, Instagram and Threads for roadway updates and information.

Closures are subject to change due to weather.