HOUSTON – Get ready to pump the brakes, Houston.
Starting Nov. 7, a major traffic switch will shrink part of I-10 to two lanes between I-45 and Houston Avenue, the latest phase in TxDOT’s $400 million White Oak Bayou Elevation Project.
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The massive rebuild aims to raise the freeway above the floodplain, protect drivers during major storms, and replace the aging Houston Avenue Bridge, which has been hit more than 70 times this year by oversized trucks.
On Friday, KPRC 2’s Re’Chelle Turner will be reporting live from the area.
Why TxDOT is doing it
This stretch of I-10 has flooded ten times since 1992, including during Hurricane Harvey, when water made the freeway impassable.
Kristina Hadley, TxDOT Public Information Officer, says the work is long overdue.
“It’s a $400 million project, and the purpose is to elevate the lanes from I-45 to Heights Boulevard. This area has flooded ten times since 1992, including during Hurricane Harvey, so we’re raising the freeway to stop that. We’ll also take down the Houston Avenue Bridge in 2027 and rebuild it under I-10 to prevent strikes,” she said.
When it’s complete, I-10 will sit above the 100-year flood level, bringing the corridor into federal flood-mitigation compliance and keeping traffic flowing even during heavy rain.
“Weather is unpredictable, but this project is a necessity,” Hadley added. “Raising the lanes and rebuilding the bridge is about safety — we don’t want to keep seeing this area flood.”
What the project includes
The 1.8-mile project covers I-10 from Heights Boulevard to I-45 and includes:
- Rebuilding mainlanes, HOV lanes, and the Houston Avenue Bridge.
- Replacing direct connectors to match the new elevated design.
- A two-mile, 10-foot-wide shared-use trail for walkers and cyclists along White Oak Bayou.
- Flood-control improvements to reduce closures during major storms.
It’s one of the most heavily traveled sections of freeway in Texas. I-10 is the fourth-most-traveled multi-state corridor in the U.S., connecting freight, commuters, and emergency routes through Houston.
Traffic changes and closures
Phase 1 begins November 7 and runs through mid-2026.
Key changes include:
- I-10 Westbound: reduced to two lanes between I-45 and Houston Avenue.
- I-45 South to I-10 West connector: closed until mid-2026.
- I-10 East to I-45 North connector: closed until 2028.
Hadley says TxDOT understands the frustration.
“I know it’s going to be a pain for traffic, but we ask that drivers pack their patience and be mindful of our workers. We drive those roads too. We’re doing this to stop flooding and protect homes and businesses,” she said.
Drivers say they’re already feeling it
For people who live and work near the project, patience is already wearing thin.
David Suba, who lives off I-10 in the Heights, says it’s tough to even reach the freeway.
“Congested. It’s hard to get in, hard to get out. We’re kind of bottlenecked all trying to get in and out,” he said.
He’s already changed his daily route.
“About six streets over, I usually go out to Heights Boulevard, and that gives me a good jumping-off point to the next on-ramp. If you try to get out here, you’re just blocked in. … It’ll take you half an hour to get onto the feeder,” he said.
Even with the headaches, Suba hopes it’s worth it.
“It’s going to be painful. Hopefully when we get through it, it’s a better system than what we have now. … A lot of change is coming up.”
Frustration on the freeway
One couple said cutting lanes on a major corridor doesn’t make sense.
“I don’t mind construction if it’s efficient but cutting down two lanes through the fourth-largest city on one of the busiest freeways in the country that seems ridiculous, especially with the World Cup,” the couple said.
They’ve also had to rethink their routes especially along the trials in the Heights.
“We’ve had to change our routes, which, honestly, changing a route walking is a little bit easier than changing your route in your car. … I think the two lanes going east and west is really going to be more damaging,” the couple told Turner.
And the traffic jams, they say, are already bad.
“Traffic backs up right now this time of day on I-45. It’s been a mile, mile and a half of people trying to get on I-10. So if they shut it down to two lanes, that’s going to be three, three, four miles back up,” the man said.
‘Something that needs to be done’
Despite the frustration, many agree the work is necessary.
Steven Smith, who lives nearby, says he hears the construction from home but understands the long-term goal.
“And the Houston Avenue Bridge gets hit a lot and stuff like that. So, I mean, I kind of understand that. And they’re working at an incredibly good pace on that. They’ve got armies of people on that. I’ve had to listen from my house over there to them drilling all night long. But, you know, this is something that needs to be done, I guess,” Smith said.
Phase 1 of the project — the two-lane traffic switch — runs through mid-2026.
Full completion is expected in 2028.
Once finished, TxDOT says the elevated I-10 will:
- Stay open during heavy rain and major storms.
- Feature a reconstructed Houston Avenue Bridge and new connectors.
- Add a two-mile pedestrian and bike trail along White Oak Bayou.
TxDOT officials say it’s all part of keeping Houston’s roads moving even when the rain doesn’t stop. For now, though, drivers may need to slow down, plan ahead, and “pack their patience.”