Texas 242 flyover project will shut down I-45 main lanes all weekend

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Texas Department of Transportation will be closing all main lanes of I-45 between the Woodlands Parkway exit and S.H. 242 as part of an ongoing construction project. The closure from the Research Forest/Tamina exit to FM 1488 and southbound from Windsor Lakes to Wellman Road will start at 9pm on Friday and re-open Monday at 5am.

"All traffic will be diverted to the frontage road," said TxDot spokesperson Deidrea Samuels.

Drivers will be forced to take Exit 79 College Park/Needham Road going north, and from the Texas 242 exit going south. Law enforcement will oversee traffic control throughout the weekend.

Houston Texans fans who are ramping up for Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys will now be forced to take detours and plan to pack their patience.

"Friends of mine are getting a party bus and they're leaving Sunday morning," said Shawn Jacks. His group of 10 will leave before the closure on Friday and say they won't drive back until the freeway is back open.

"I know there's a lot of people out there who don't even know that it's closing," said Ivon Wright. "We're going to beat it and come back on Monday with a victory."

Business is expected to pick up at sports bars along the way.

"We're going to put some people out(side), letting them know... to stop on in and grab a bite to eat on your way up to Dallas," said Tailgators Manager Nicholas Dillard.

With several other events in The Woodlands and surrounding area-including: Renaissance Festival rehearsal, high school football games and a Zac Brown Band concert at the Woodlands Pavilion this weekend, area Fire Departments have a response plan in place in the event of an emergency or accident.

"We have an all-terrain vehicle that we can use... to travel through ditches if the traffic gets bad and we have to get mobile," said Needham Fire Chief Kevin Hosler.

TxDot will also have officers on site to keep traffic moving as much as possible.

Weekend closures of various parts of I-45 and surrounding roads are scheduled to continue over the next six weeks due to construction on the Montgomery County Transportation Program's Texas 242 Direct Connector Project, aimed to alleviate congestion caused by backup getting onto and off of Texas 242.

For more details, go to Houston Community Newspapers' report.