Why it may be easier to go out the Gulf Fwy for holiday shopping

LEAGUE CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- The holiday shopping and travel season is here!

If you're planning on fighting the masses on Black Friday, you don't want to be caught off guard by traffic and construction around popular shopping centers.

If League City is your shopping destination, there are some big changes since the last shopping season: I-45 now runs over FM-646, improving flow through the intersection.

ALSO: These changes could affect your commute well into 2020

Additionally, roadwork along the feeder road has mostly cleared up, and you no longer need to take a maze of detours to get through the access roads.

Regardless, the Gulf Freeway is still prone to accidents. So if you want to avoid heavy traffic, take Highway 3 as an alternate route.

Here are some of the other traffic projects around the Houston area

Voters OK $3.5B bond to fix traffic in Katy, Cypress and Spring

TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE: Southwest Freeway traffic to get worse - on purpose - until 2020

I-45 freeway expansion will force people out of homes, group says

Gulf Freeway is said to have been under construction since, well, forever

Do you hate Houston traffic as much as we do? Join the club!