In the announcement Monday, TxDOT explained the closure of the SH 146 westbound connector ramp to I-45 southbound, which will lead to necessary work as part of a robust reconfiguration project, will now occur Aug. 7. The closure was originally scheduled to take place July 31.
The closure is part of a $226 million I-45 expansion project being undertaken by TxDOT between FM 519 in La Marque down to the Texas City Wye, the Y-shaped interchange facilitating traffic both getting on and coming off I-45 northbound from SH 146. In late 2025, TxDOT public information officer Danny Perez told the Galveston Daily News he expected the work at that stretch of SH 146, which will reconfigure the Wye into a diamond interchange, to be completed by summer 2028.
But that just scratches the surface of work happening on and around I-45 in the Galveston area. Other work includes widening the causeway bridge as a way “to reduce roadway flooding, improve mobility and congestion and improve hurricane evacuation,” per TxDOT. In all, TxDOT has about $725 million invested in this area of the region, per the Daily News.
So what will happen when the connector ramp is shut down starting Aug. 7? TxDOT’s detour is for traffic on SH 146 to turn right onto the I-45 northbound frontage road, then hop onto I-45 north and exit at FM 519, about two miles away. Then U-turn to hop on I-45 south as originally intended.
Along with that, TxDOT anticipates “I-45 mainline closures needed to facilitate the closure of the ramp.” In other words, if you have plans to visit Galveston the weekend after next, you may want to head down there early Friday.
Unless the closure is delayed once again.