Man arrested after climbing atop sign, shutting down Southwest Fwy

HOUSTON -- A man is in custody after he threatened to jump off an overhead traffic sign in his underwear, prompting the closure of the Gulf Freeway.

Police say it all happened around at the Southwest Freeway near I-45.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, a man started walking along the Southwest Freeway around 7:20pm Tuesday and then decided to climb up on an overhead sign.

Officials with the Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department responded to the scene and shut down both directions of the highway just before 10pm while they negotiated with the man. Around 11pm, he was convinced to come down and slid down the sign safely. He was then taken into custody.

The man was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

It's not clear what charges the man may face.