Traffic & Transit
TxDOT Closing Ramp Connecting 288 And I-45 For Demolition
Drivers who battle the left exit from I-45 to 288 in downtown will have to find an alternate route when TxDOT closes the ramp on Friday.
HOUSTON — A traffic nightmare looms for Houston motorists who travel Interstate 45 into downtown. The Texas Department of Transportation announced that crews will shut down the left exit connector from the Gulf Freeway to Interstate 69/State Highway 288 at 9 p.m. Friday to begin demolition of the connector.
The left exit ramp, which officials said causes confusion with some drivers, who then have to change lanes quickly to exit 288 or I-69, will ultimately be replaced with a right exit ramp.
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The new right exit ramp, which TxDOT said will open this summer, will allow for less traffic tie ups and reduce the number of accidents of motorists trying to exit the Gulf Freeway to 288 or I-69.
Motorists who are traveling Gulf Freeway and use the exits to get to the University of Houston, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, the George R. Brown Convention Center, or the Texas Medical Center, could be impacted of the next six months, officials said.
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TxDOT officials are recommending motorist find alternate routes during the construction of the new ramp.
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Image: Bryan Kirk, Patch Staff
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