Major delays ahead as TxDOT closes Houston freeways

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- This weekend, expect some major delays around town. It's the first weekend many TxDOT crews are back on the roads after the holidays.

On Highway 290, the outbound lanes between Gessner and Jones Road are closed all weekend. The freeway shuts down at 9pm Friday night, and reopens at 5am on Monday morning. As an alternate, take the feeder road or the Hempstead Highway. On the inbound side, 290 has 2 mainlanes closed from Little York to Gessner.

Near downtown, the connector ramp from I-10 westbound to I-45 northbound is closed on Saturday from 6 am to 6 pm. The southbound ramp to I-45 is still open. If you're heading into town from outside the East Loop, take the Loop over to I-45, and from inside the Loop, take the Eastex to the Loop, and cross over to I-45 there.

Finally, as we've been telling you all week, the Beltway 8 Ship Channel Bridge is closed all weekend. Northbound lanes can exit at Red Bluff, and southbound lanes will be required to exit at Jacintoport Boulevard.

In addition, there is a total closure in both directions of the East freeway between Magnolia and East Beltway 8, from 10pm Friday to Saturday at noon. You can still use the frontage road along I-10.

To help ease traffic, the Lynchburg Ferry will operate extended hours, from 9:30am - 8pm, and the Washburn Tunnel will be open.