The department’s Houston district announced Tuesday afternoon that, starting Wednesday, the inside lane on I-45’s northbound side will close daily between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. while crews remove light poles along the causeway.
TxDOT spokesperson Danny Perez told Chron the work could stretch into Saturday, but that the causeway’s southbound lanes would be unaffected. He added the department is currently looking into “a redesign for future lighting.” This, of course, is in addition to the years-long widening of the causeway, a project TxDOT estimates will finish sometime in 2028 or ’29.
The good news is the crews should be finished by the time hundreds of University of Texas Medical Branch commuters start heading back to their homes on the mainland. Maps and webcams are available on Houston Transtar’s website for drivers seeking up-to-the-minute traffic conditions.
On the bright side, those temporarily gritting their teeth through gridlock will have an excellent opportunity to study the lonely house at Virginia Point, all that remains of the former railroad community that was once home to a ferry landing and cotton mill. It also played an important role in the Civil War’s Battle of Galveston in January 1863.
Currently owned by a DFW-area couple, the house was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008. Thanks to Texas City’s building regulations, it will remain the only structure in the area for the foreseeable future.