I45 road closures to Galveston

[sugcarol]

If you will be cruising in the next 2 weeks and need to take I 45 to Galveston you are in luck. The paper today said that all road closures on I45 will be halted for the next 2 week-ends due to Mardi Gras. After the 22nd of February you will need to find other routes or spend hours in traffic if you will be traveling I45 to Galveston

[meansun]

I can tell you personally that this was a nightmare! We left Galveston Sunday and brought my Mom to the airport. We got off the ship at 9 and got her to the airport (IAH) at 12:30. Once you get through the first round of 1 lane open, you experience another one just before 59 in downtown.

[mndity]

If you will be cruising in the next 2 weeks and need to take I 45 to Galveston you are in luck. The paper today said that all road closures on I45 will be halted for the next 2 week-ends due to Mardi Gras. After the 22nd of February you will need to find other routes or spend hours in traffic if you will be traveling I45 to Galveston

 

any idea how long this will be happening??

[CruisinManiac]

I had a feeling they might let up for the Mardi Gras festivities. We will be taking RCCL transportation to the ship on the 22nd. Glad the traffic will be normal . Sounds like the trip back may be slow, although we are doing a RCCL transportation tour on the way back to IAH. Good thing that I decided to book our flights at 5:30, instead of 11:00. :eek:

 

Thanks for the information! :)

[mndity]

If you will be cruising in the next 2 weeks and need to take I 45 to Galveston you are in luck. The paper today said that all road closures on I45 will be halted for the next 2 week-ends due to Mardi Gras. After the 22nd of February you will need to find other routes or spend hours in traffic if you will be traveling I45 to Galveston

 

Also are the delays along the entire stretch of I45??.... my trip has me hooking up on I45 past Houston (30 miles only)

[tkportersat]

Ok, can someone please let me know what the alternate route is? I normally take the toll road and then catch I-45...I don't know any other way after 10 cruises out of Galveston :o Thankfully we will be coming up a day early but still don't want to sit in hours of traffic.

 

 

 

Also are the delays along the entire stretch of I45??.... my trip has me hooking up on I45 past Houston (30 miles only)

[kyriecat]

You can try hwy 6 south from I-10. It hits I-45 just before the causeway bridge. The only way to get across from Houston to Galveston is the causeway bridge.

 

Another route (only slightly longer but less lights so probably less time) would be to take the Grand Parkway (TX 99) south until your get to US 59. Take US 59 north to the Hwy 6 exit and head south as above. The Grand Parkway exit is off I-10 in Katy.

 

I live off the Parkway so I've taken that route many times to Galveston.

[tkportersat]

Thanks so much, your help is appreciated!! I will print and keep with me, only 23 more days to go :) yippee.

 

You can try hwy 6 south from I-10. It hits I-45 just before the causeway bridge. The only way to get across from Houston to Galveston is the causeway bridge.

 

Another route (only slightly longer but less lights so probably less time) would be to take the Grand Parkway (TX 99) south until your get to US 59. Take US 59 north to the Hwy 6 exit and head south as above. The Grand Parkway exit is off I-10 in Katy.

 

I live off the Parkway so I've taken that route many times to Galveston.

[golfpccc]

If I take Tollroad 8 around the west side of Houston, like coming from Austin, and get off on I45 south to Galveston will I miss the roadwork?

[sugcarol]

No-you need to check out http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/layers/ before you head out 45-it will tell you where the construction is-where you see the red line on the map just click on it and it will open a window that will tell you exactly where the construction is and how fast the cars are moving.

[Tucker in Texas]

I live locally and was on I45 earlier today. It was horrible! Even if they aren't doing construction, there are fewer lanes because of it being torn up.

 

Another suggestion would be to go down I-45 and bail out when the traffic starts to back up be it Clear Lake City Boulevard, El Dorado, Bay Area Boulevard or (if you are lucky) the new NASA Parkway bypass--best. If you get off at any of the first three, take the exit going East and go straight until you get to Space Center Boulevard maybe 5 miles.

 

Go right on Space Center Boulevard which is south and go "til you can't go no mo" and you will dead end at NASA Parkway with Clear Lake right in front of you, NASA on your right and the West Mansion on your left.

 

Turn left and head East until you get to SH146. Go south on SH146 and you will dead end into the causeway into Galveston.

 

If you get lucky and can get to the NASA Parkway bypass then take that as far as you can which will put you on NASA Parkway in Nassau Bay. The Space Center will be on your left, and will be a straight shot to SH146.

 

Tucker in Texas

[meansun]

You can also head on I 10 East from 45 and head past 8 until you see 146. Take 146 all the way down until you hit 45 just into Galveston.

[Rancher Dave]

From the West (San Antonio, the ranch, Austin)...

 

Take Beltway 8 South to 288, take 288 South to Hwy 6 and around to I-45 and avoid the traffic/construction delays.

 

To the poster who asked how long this will be going on...my entire life here I always heard of construction delays of some kind on the weekend on major freeways. At least IH10 is done now...its just back to 45 having work done.

 

MeanSun has a great idea if coming from the East.

[Tucker in Texas]

Down here they call I45 the 40lk freeway. You start your career working on it and you retire 40 years later still working on it.

 

Tucker in Texas

[EV2008]

if i take tollroad 8 around the west side of houston, like coming from austin, and get off on i45 south to galveston will i miss the roadwork?

 

no!!

[EV2008]

I live locally and was on I45 earlier today. It was horrible! Even if they aren't doing construction, there are fewer lanes because of it being torn up.

 

Another suggestion would be to go down I-45 and bail out when the traffic starts to back up be it Clear Lake City Boulevard, El Dorado, Bay Area Boulevard or (if you are lucky) the new NASA Parkway bypass--best. If you get off at any of the first three, take the exit going East and go straight until you get to Space Center Boulevard maybe 5 miles.

 

Go right on Space Center Boulevard which is south and go "til you can't go no mo" and you will dead end at NASA Parkway with Clear Lake right in front of you, NASA on your right and the West Mansion on your left.

 

Turn left and head East until you get to SH146. Go south on SH146 and you will dead end into the causeway into Galveston.

 

If you get lucky and can get to the NASA Parkway bypass then take that as far as you can which will put you on NASA Parkway in Nassau Bay. The Space Center will be on your left, and will be a straight shot to SH146.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

But that takes you forever too !

[BillB48]

Down here they call I45 the 40lk freeway. You start your career working on it and you retire 40 years later still working on it.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

Now that's job security:D! On the east side of Houston, would taking 146 off of I-10 to Galveston be a good alternate?

[princess76021]

ok i give up, if i'm leaving from the dallas fort worth area and headed down 45 to port, how much time should i allow???

 

we only know one way and that's 45!!!!!

 

how long should the trip take???

 

thanks to all you knowledgeable people!!!!!!

[M&M Hayden]

So are they starting up construction again the weekend of the 28th?? Do they do work on it on Sundays?? My nephew found a something that said it was going to be COMPLETED this weekend....??? And also that they didn't work on Sundays......we getting off the Voyager on Sunday, March 1 and our flight is at 1 PM.....if we have a 9:45 AM pickup will we make it??

Thanks.....

[meansun]

So are they starting up construction again the weekend of the 28th?? Do they do work on it on Sundays?? My nephew found a something that said it was going to be COMPLETED this weekend....??? And also that they didn't work on Sundays......we getting off the Voyager on Sunday, March 1 and our flight is at 1 PM.....if we have a 9:45 AM pickup will we make it??

Thanks.....

 

They were definitely working last Sunday when we go off the Voyager. There were 2 different areas where it was down to one lane on both sides of the highway. When we went past them, they had a big chunk taken out of the expansion joints in the center lane on the over passes.

[Tucker in Texas]

They may not be working, but the I-45 will be torn up and people put on the feeder road.

 

Note: SH-146 sometimes backs up big time, particularly on weekends, between Red Bluff and NASA Parkway which is why I didn't suggest 1-10 to 146. Also, there are a lot of lights between I-10 and Seabrook going through Baytown/La Porte. But, you get to go over the "big" bridge which replaced the dreaded tunnel a few years ago.

 

The new NASA Parkway bypass has eliminated a lot of the lights you used to encounter going through Webster down NASA Rd. 1 from I-45. You don't hit any until Nassau Bay and since it was widen, it moves pretty good, particularly on a Sunday. You can easily get from the end of the bypass to SH146 in 15 minutes. Hint: If you do that route, be in the far right lane when you come up on 146 even if there seems to be a lot of cars in front of you and a lot fewer in the next lane over. That lane turns right on red and moves a lot quicker than the other one where you have to wait for the green light to turn--not that that discourages a few to go on and turn right on red from that lane (lol).

 

The "back way" we take to/from I-45 is to get off I-45 at Alameda Mall on the Sam Houston Tollway headed east--a cloverleaf. Take the first exit (it says "last exit before toll"). The feeder road takes you to a stop light, turn right and take that road until you get to Red Bluff (a golf course will be on your right). Right on Red Bluff to SH-146. You do run the risk, though, of the back-up mentioned before between Red Bluff and NASA Rd. 1. When we first "discovered" it, there were only two stoplights between us and the freeway but now there are more. The speed limit on Red Bluff is 55 mph and it is still "country" as a lot of it borders on the Armand Bayou Nature Center. Watch your speed, though, the Pasadena Police get a lot of revenue from it.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Rancher Dave]

ok i give up, if i'm leaving from the dallas fort worth area and headed down 45 to port, how much time should i allow???

 

we only know one way and that's 45!!!!!

 

how long should the trip take???

 

thanks to all you knowledgeable people!!!!!!

 

Normally 5-6 hours depending on where in DFW you head from...I would tack on at least an extra hour now. Aim to be at the port by 2 so you have some safety net.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[BillB48]

Thanks for the info, Tucker in TX!

[dixie54]

Please give us an update. We are heading that way March 1. thanks