
North Freeway Interstate 45 Houston Truck Accident Lawyer
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North Freeway Interstate 45 Houston Truck Accident Lawyer
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Truck Crash Attorneys? Call theĀ Houston Truck Accident Attorney Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
Interstate 45Ā (I-45) is anĀ Interstate HighwayĀ located entirely within theĀ U.S. stateĀ ofĀ Texas. While most interstate routes ending in “5” are cross-country north-south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, with the entire route located in Texas. It connects the cities ofĀ DallasĀ andĀ Houston, continuing southeast from Houston toĀ GalvestonĀ over theĀ Galveston CausewayĀ to theĀ Gulf of Mexico.
I-45 replacedĀ US 75Ā over its entire length, although portions of US 75 remained parallel to I-45 until its elimination south of downtown Dallas in 1987. At the south end of I-45,Ā State Highway 87Ā (formerly part of US 75) continues into downtown Galveston. The north end is atĀ Interstate 30Ā inĀ downtown Dallas, where US 75 used theĀ Good-Latimer Expressway. A short continuation, known byĀ traffic reportersĀ as the I-45 overhead,[2]Ā signed as part of US 75, and officiallyĀ Interstate 345, continues north to the merge with the current end of US 75. Traffic can useĀ Spur 366Ā (better known locally as the Woodall Rodgers Freeway) to connect toĀ Interstate 35EĀ at the north end of I-345.
The portion of I-45 betweenĀ downtown HoustonĀ and Galveston is known to Houston residents as the Gulf Freeway. The short elevated section of I-45 which forms the southern boundary of downtown Houston is known as the Pierce Elevated, after the surface street next to which the freeway runs, while north of Interstate 10 it is known as the North Freeway. I-45 and I-345 in the Dallas area, north of the interchanges withĀ Interstate 20Ā andĀ State Highway 310Ā (old US 75), is the Julius Schepps Freeway. The Gulf Freeway and North Freeway both includeĀ reversibleĀ high-occupancy vehicle lanesĀ forĀ busesĀ and otherĀ high-occupancy vehiclesĀ to and from downtown Houston.
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Car Accident Lawyers? Call theĀ Houston CarĀ Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
Route description
In addition to the officialĀ control citiesĀ ofĀ Galveston,Ā Houston, andĀ Dallas,[3]Ā I-45 serves a number of other communities, includingĀ La Marque,Ā League City,Ā Spring,Ā The Woodlands,Ā Conroe,Ā Willis,Ā Huntsville,Ā Madisonville,Ā Centerville,Ā Buffalo,Ā Fairfield,Ā Corsicana, andĀ Ennis.
U.S. Highway 190Ā joins I-45 for 26 miles (42Ā km) fromĀ Huntsville, TexasĀ toĀ Madisonville, Texas.Ā U.S. Highway 287Ā joins I-45 for 18 miles (29Ā km) fromĀ Corsicana, TexasĀ toĀ Ennis, Texas. US 287 signs are only posted (with I-45) from the northern end of Business Loop 45 in Corsicana to the Ellis County line.
Interstate 45 gained notoriety duringĀ Hurricane RitaĀ in 2005. Thousands ofĀ HoustonĀ area evacuees jammed the roadway trying to leave. As a result, the freeway became a parking lot. Gas stations ran dry and hundreds of people’s cars simply ran empty, their occupants having to spend the night along the shoulder. Four-hour drives suddenly became 24-hour drives. Even though theĀ Texas Department of TransportationĀ startedĀ contraflow lane reversalĀ atĀ FM 1488, it did not alleviate the traffic jam deep into the city, as that starting point was even north ofĀ The Woodlands, which is close toĀ Conroe, the northern terminus of the greater Houston area.
At just 284.913 miles (458.523Ā km), I-45 is the shortest of the primary interstates (ending in 0 or 5), and the only primary interstate to be entirely inside of one state.
Gulf Freeway
The stretch of I-45 connecting Galveston with Houston is known as the Gulf Freeway. It was the firstĀ freewayĀ built inĀ Texasāopened in stages beginning on October 1, 1948, up to a full completion toĀ GalvestonĀ in 1952, as part ofĀ U.S. Highway 75. At the north (Houston) end, it connects to theĀ North FreewayĀ via the short Pierce Elevated, completed in 1967.[4]Ā The section north of the curve near Monroe Road/State Highway 3Ā in southeastern Houston was built on theĀ right-of-wayĀ of the formerĀ Galveston-Houston Electric Railway, which entered downtown on Pierce Street.[5][6]
- from January 1974 until December 1995, the speed limit was 55Ā mph for the entire route of the Gulf Freeway Houston-Galveston
After severalĀ interchanges, I-45 crosses theĀ Galveston CausewayĀ and passesĀ Tiki Island. OldĀ U.S. Highway 75Ā south of this junction was upgraded on the spot.[7]
The Gulf Freeway generally parallelsĀ State Highway 3Ā (old US 75) about 1 mile (1.6Ā km) to the west, bypassingĀ La Marque,Ā DickinsonĀ andĀ South Houston. It includesĀ interchangesĀ with several otherĀ freeways: the Emmett F. Lowry Expressway (Farm to Market Road 1764),Ā NASA Road 1 BypassĀ and theĀ Sam Houston Tollway, meeting the north end of State Highway 3 in southeasternĀ Houston. (This part of SH 3Ā ā on Winkler Drive and Monroe RoadĀ ā is not part of old US 75.) A centerĀ reversibleĀ HOV laneĀ begins just south of the Sam Houston Tollway.
In Houston, I-45 meetsĀ Interstate Highway 610Ā andĀ State Highway 35Ā at a complicatedĀ interchange.[8]Ā At the merge withĀ Spur 5, a short freeway spur to theĀ University of Houston, elevatedĀ collector/distributor roadsĀ (also part of Spur 5) begin. The C/D roads and the HOV lane end at Emancipation Avenue, the original end of the Gulf Freeway. Just past Emancipation Avenue is an interchange withĀ Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59Ā (Eastex Freeway and Southwest Freeway) andĀ State Highway 288Ā (South Freeway), after which I-45 technically becomes the North Freeway[9]Ā as it runs along the northwest half of the block between Pierce Street and Gray Street as the Pierce Elevated.
TheĀ reversibleĀ high-occupancy vehicle laneĀ begins in downtown Houston at the intersection of St. Joseph Parkway and Emancipation Avenue, with easy access inbound to St. Joseph Parkway and outbound from Pierce Street. It runs down theĀ medianĀ of the Gulf Freeway, mostly at the same level as the main lanes. Ramps are provided for access to and from the following roads:
- Eastwood Transit CenterĀ ā full access
- Interstate Highway 610Ā north frontage roadĀ ā full access
- Monroe Road and Monroe Park & RideĀ ā full access
- Fuqua Park & Ride and South Point Park & RideĀ ā full access
- Frontage roads north of Dixie Farm Road (Farm to Market Road 1959) – towards downtown, with aĀ ramp stubĀ for continuation
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Car Accident Lawyers? Call theĀ Houston CarĀ Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
North Freeway
The Interstate 45 North Freeway HOV begins in downtown Houston near theĀ University of HoustonāDowntown, with easy access inbound on Milam Street and outbound on Travis Street. Ramps and entrances are provided for access from the following roads:
- Interstate 10/U.S. Highway 90Ā westbound exit and entrance onlyĀ ā full access
- Quitman StreetĀ ā full access
- Airline Drive (to Crosstimbers Road) – full access
- N. Shepherd (to N. Shepherd Park & Ride) – full access
- Farm to Market Road 525Ā (Aldine-Bender Rd) – full access
- Kuykendahl Park & RideĀ ā full access
- Farm to Market Road 1960Ā (to Spring Park & Ride) – full access
The HOV ends approximately one mile north of the Cypress Creek Parkway (FM1960) exit and becomes a diamond white line at grade-separated HOV north to just before exit 84Ā Loop 336Ā on the south side ofĀ Conroe. This provides HOV access 24 hours a day 7 days a week with one lane on the northbound side and one lane on the southbound side with periodic dotted lines for access at major exits.
Julius Schepps Freeway
The stretch of I-45 along theĀ Julius ScheppsĀ Freeway in Dallas, from theĀ Trinity RiverĀ to Downtown Dallas up to and including theĀ I-345, is elevated above the surrounding areas for most of its length. As such, when ice storms hit the Dallas area (usually on average 1-2 times per year), the freeway is shut down, and traffic is diverted toĀ State Highway 310Ā andĀ U.S. Highway 175Ā which parallel I-45.
Lane configuration
From south to north, the following one-way lane counts are for mainlanes only:
- 3 lanes between Galveston and NASA Road 1
- 5 lanes between NASA Road 1 and Beltway 8 (south)
- 4 lanes between Beltway 8 (south) and I-69/US 59
- 3 lanes between I-69/US 59 and McKinney Street
- 4 lanes between McKinney Street and Beltway 8 (north)
- 5 lanes between Beltway 8 (north) and Parramatta Lane
- 4 lanes between Parramatta Lane and Spring Crossing Drive
- 5 lanes between Spring Crossing Drive and Lake Woodlands Drive
- 4 lanes between Lake Woodlands Drive and FM 3083 (exit 91)
- 3 lanes between FM 3083 (exit 91) and the Walker County line (near milepost 100)
- 2 lanes between Walker County line and exit 235
- 3 lanes between exit 235 and US 175
- 5 lanes between US 175 and I-30
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Car Accident Lawyers? Call theĀ Houston CarĀ Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
History
In the initial assignment of state highways in 1917,Ā Dallas-Fort WorthĀ and Houston were connected by a branch ofĀ State Highway 2Ā (theĀ Meridian Highway), which ran viaĀ WacoĀ andĀ BryanĀ and continued on to Galveston. The more direct route followed by I-45 was not initially part of the system betweenĀ RichlandĀ andĀ Huntsville;[10][11]Ā this cutoff was added by 1919 asĀ State Highway 32,[12]Ā andĀ U.S. Highway 75Ā was assigned to the alignment in 1926.[13]Ā Prior to the coming of theĀ Interstate Highway SystemĀ in the late 1950s, the only improvements to US 75 in Texas beyond building a two-lane paved roadway were in the Houston and Dallas areas.[14]Ā However, the highways in and near these cities included some of the firstĀ freewaysĀ in the state: the Gulf Freeway (Houston) and theĀ Central ExpresswayĀ (Dallas).
Gulf Freeway (Houston to Galveston)
TheĀ Galveston-Houston Electric RailwayĀ began operating anĀ interurbanĀ between those cities on December 5, 1911, and last ran on October 31, 1936, though theĀ Houston Electric Company, operator of Houston’s city transit system, continued to run trains on the portion between downtown andĀ Park Place. A proposal for a “super-highway” between the cities was first made in 1930, and Houston MayorĀ Oscar HolcombeĀ began to work towards it later that decade. He announced an agreement with the Houston Electric Company on April 12, 1940, through which the company could convert its four remaining lines toĀ buses, in exchange for theĀ right-of-wayĀ used by the Park Place line. This line was last used on June 9, 1940, the last day of streetcar service in Houston;[15]Ā the replacement is still operated byĀ METROĀ as the 40 along Telephone Road.
Before the new highway was built,Ā U.S. Highway 75Ā followed Galveston Road (now mostlyĀ State Highway 3), Broadway Street, and Harrisburg Boulevard into downtown Houston.Ā State Highway 225Ā carried traffic fromĀ La PorteĀ along La Porte Road to US 75 inĀ Harrisburg, andĀ State Highway 35Ā connectedĀ AlvinĀ with downtown Houston along Telephone Road and Leeland Street.[16]Ā Plans made in October 1943, when theĀ Texas Transportation CommissionĀ signed an agreement with Houston andĀ Harris County, referred to the new bypass as a relocation of US 75. Drawings were released by the state on January 31, 1946, and included almost continuousĀ frontage roads, broken only at railroad crossings.[15]Ā Although theĀ freewayĀ ended at Live Oak Street, a so-called “four-street distribution system”[17]Ā of fourĀ one-way streets,Ā timedĀ for 30 miles per hour (50 kilometers per hour), carried traffic to Main Street.[18]Ā Initially, the two southwestern streetsĀ ā Pierce Street and Calhoun Avenue (now St. Joseph Parkway) – carried traffic towards the freeway, and the other twoĀ ā Jefferson and Pease StreetsĀ ā carried exiting traffic;[19]Ā once the freeway was completed far enough to allow US 75 to be marked along it, Pease and Pierce Streets carried that highway to Fannin Street.[20]
The first freeway dedication in the state took place at 7 p.m. on September 30, 1948, at the overpass over Calhoun Road by theĀ University of Houston. The roadway between downtown and Telephone Road was opened to traffic after speeches, but lacked an official name, being called the “Interurban Expressway”, after the rail line that it replaced, by the press. Mayor Holcombe quickly started a contest to assign a name, and the city chose the winning entry on December 17, 1948. Sara Yancy ofĀ Houston HeightsĀ won $100 for her submission of “Gulf Freeway”, named for theĀ Gulf of MexicoĀ that the highway would reach when completed. The freeway was extended to Griggs Road in February 1951, Reveille Street (onto which SH 35 was realigned) in July 1951, and was completed to theĀ Galveston CausewayĀ on August 2, 1952, with a ceremony on the bridge overĀ Farm to Market Road 517Ā nearĀ Dickinson. However, beyond Reveille Street, the road was not built toĀ freewayĀ standards, with 32Ā at-grade intersections, though noĀ traffic signals. The highway curved away from the old interurban right-of-way near Monroe Road, about where the Park Place streetcar line had ended. In December 1952, a short spur, now part ofĀ Interstate 610, was opened to connect with SH 225.[21]Ā A three-way split in the northwest part of Park Place, near whereĀ Gulfgate Shopping CenterĀ opened in 1956, carried non-stop traffic to and from SH 35 and SH 225.[15][22][23]Ā This split was also the location of a lane drop; the roadway carried six lanes (three in each direction) between Houston and the interchange, and four beyond to Galveston. After the new US 75 was completed, the old road between downtown andĀ South HoustonĀ was dropped from the state highway system, while the remainder becameĀ State Highway 3, connecting to the Gulf Freeway via Winkler Drive, effective August 20, 1952.[24]
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Car Accident Lawyers? Call theĀ Houston CarĀ Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
The first major change was made in preparation for the North Freeway connection, when the directions of Calhoun Avenue and Jefferson Street were swapped so that they would alternate. A bridge, dated 1954, was built to carry traffic from Jefferson Street over traffic to Jefferson Street,[23]Ā and US 75 was moved to Calhoun Avenue northbound,[25]Ā soon crossing downtown on theĀ one-way pairĀ of Calhoun Avenue and Pierce Street to the new North Freeway.[26]Ā AĀ median barrierĀ was added in 1956 to preventĀ crossover accidents. Southeast of downtown Houston, the at-grade intersections proved dangerous, and only two had been replaced with interchanges by 1959, when theĀ Texas Highway Departmentbegan a program to upgrade the road to fullĀ freewayĀ standards.Ā Frontage roadsĀ would be required along the entire highway, since the state had not purchasedĀ access rights, and so abutting property owners were able to build driveways to the road. To accomplish this, traffic was shifted to the newly built frontage roads so that the central main lanes could be reconstructed. This grade separation was completed from Houston to Almeda-Genoa Road (exit 34) in June 1959,Ā Farm to Market Road 1959Ā (exit 30) in October 1964,Ā Farm to Market Road 518Ā (exit 23) in December 1970, andĀ Farm to Market Road 1764Ā (exit 15) in 1976. As the section beyond FM 1764 into Galveston had already been rebuilt,[23][27]Ā this marked the completion of the Gulf Freeway as an actual freeway.[15]
As the first freeway in Texas, the standards of the Gulf Freeway soon became inadequate, with poor sight lines and little room to merge when entering. It also attracted development, such asĀ Gulfgate Shopping City, the first mall in the Houston area, theĀ Manned Spacecraft Center, and manyĀ residential developments. HeavyĀ congestionĀ began to affect the freeway by the early 1960s; two roughly parallel freewaysĀ ā theĀ Harrisburg FreewayĀ andĀ Alvin FreewayĀ – were proposed at that time to relieve the traffic, but were not built. A short project to widen the road to six lanes between I-610 andĀ Sims BayouĀ was completed in 1960, andĀ ramp metersĀ were installed in 1966. The I-610 interchange was rebuilt with direct connections for most movements in 1975. Plans to reconstruct the freeway near downtown began in 1972, taking about 170 houses and 22 businesses from the southwest side for the room to expand the main lanes and add parallel lanes for the Alvin Freeway. Local opposition was unsuccessful at stopping the project, and construction on this segment, and others to the southeast, took place in the 1980s. The lanes were shifted outward to make room for the transitway, which opened to I-610 on May 16, 1988. These lanes were inspired by the similar ones on theĀ Shirley HighwayĀ in theĀ Washington Metropolitan Area.[28]Ā That year also marked the end of the reconstruction inside I-610, along with the elevated distribution lanes alongside the main lanes near downtown; the first short piece of the Alvin Freeway was finally connected to these in 1999. This project gave I-45 its current configuration, mostly eight main lanes wide, from Sims Bayou past I-610 to Griggs Road in 1981, to Telephone Road in 1982, to Lockwood Drive in 1985, and finally to downtown in 1988.[15]
However, this was not the end of construction on the Gulf Freeway. The highway beyond I-610 to FM 1959, which had just been upgraded in the 1950s and 1960s, saw an extension of the transitway to a temporary end near FM 1959, widening to eight lanes, and a largeĀ stack interchangeĀ at theĀ Sam Houston Tollway. This reconstruction was completed between Almeda-Genoa Road and College Avenue in 1991, between College Avenue and Sims Bayou in 1994, and finally, in 1997, there was no construction anywhere on the entire length of the freeway when the tollway interchange was opened, along with the widening between Almeda-Genoa Road and FM 1959. A 1999 study recommended widening the entire stretch from the Sam Houston Tollway to Galveston to at least eight lanes. Construction to replace theĀ Galveston CausewayĀ began in mid-2003,[15]Ā and work on a section throughĀ Webster, including a new interchange with theĀ NASA Road 1 Bypass, began in mid-2007.[29]
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Car Accident Lawyers? Call theĀ Houston CarĀ Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
Widening of the freeway between Kurland Drive at Bay Area Boulevard began in July 2011. This construction will expand the number of freeway lanes from six to ten, and increase the number of frontage lanes from four to six. TheĀ high occupancy vehicleĀ (HOV) lane will be extended to the southern end of the construction. It will also involve rebuilding the overpasses at Dixie Farm Road and Clear Lake City Boulevard. (Dixie Farm Road bridge demolition has already been completed)Ā [30]Ā The project is expected to take five years to complete.[31]Ā According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the project is approximately fifteen miles in length, starting at Kurland and ending approximately one mile south of Bay Area Boulevard.
The project has six phases. Phase one is the reconstruction of the main lanes from the northern end of the project to just south of FM 1959. The end of this phase will include the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge at the FM 1959 intersection. Phase two, planned to begin in mid-2012, will be the reconstruction of the frontage roads from just south of FM 1959 to the southern end of the project. Phase three will be the reconstruction of the main lanes on the southern half of the project, and is planned to begin in mid-2013. Phase four, scheduled to start late 2014, will be the demolition and reconstruction of the overpass at Clear Lake City Boulevard. Phase five, (which was completed) was the demolition and reconstruction of El Dorado Boulevard, and Bay Area Boulevard. The demolition and reconstruction was finished in 2016. As a result, the 1960s-era cloverleaf interchanges (with the exception of Fuqua Street and Scarsdale Boulevard) have been eliminated with overpasses. Phase six, will be making the new lanes of the freeway. It will have 5 lanes each direction along with the new overpasses for those two underpasses. This will be completed 2017.
In 2015, reconstruction and widening of I-45 began in Downtown Houston due to heavy traffic. The SB on-ramp from Allen Parkway will be moved to enter on the right side, and long-range plans call for the demolition of the outdated Pierce Elevated, with the reroute of I-45 being alongĀ Interstate 69/U.S. Highway 59Ā andĀ Interstate 10/U.S. Highway 90Ā to the North Freeway; The parts of the Gulf Freeway at I-10 and 45 will be known as the Downtown Connector. If the rerouting of I-45 with the Pierce Elevated demolition (and/or redevelopment into the proposed Pierce SkyPark as part of additional greenspace), the connecting ramps south of Allen Parkway would become a second downtown spur, which will result in the demise of a full freeway loop around Downtown Houston (this will make Dallas, TX the only Texas metropolitan area to retain its downtown freeway loop with Interstates 30, 35E, 345, and Spur 366); as of 2018 there are no plans to place the Pierce Elevated in a tunnel similar to Spur 366 in Dallas since the Houston Metro area is prone to flooding, especially the aftermath ofĀ Hurricane Harvey.
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Car Accident Lawyers? Call theĀ Houston CarĀ Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
North Freeway (Houston to Conroe)
The last alignment of US 75 before the North Freeway was built left downtown Houston to the northwest on Main Street, turning north at Airline Drive, and then northwest along the present alignment of I-45, then known as Stuebner Airline Road, Shepherd Drive, and East Montgomery Road.[25]Ā The freeway replacement was authorized in stages between May 1945 and June 1952, when theĀ Texas Transportation CommissionĀ adopted plans for a freeway all the way between Houston and Dallas. The North Freeway name was adopted in 1956; an unsuccessful proposal in 1965 would have renamed it the Dallas Freeway.[32]Ā The first short piece of the freeway to open crossedĀ Buffalo Bayou, connecting the twoĀ one-way pairsĀ from the north end of the Gulf Freeway with the south end of Houston Avenue. This was opened on December 12, 1955, and allowed US 75 to bypass its run on Main Street;[26]Ā it included interchanges withĀ Allen ParkwayĀ andĀ Memorial Drive. The next piece near downtown opened on July 24, 1962, leaving the 1955 freeway in the Allen Parkway interchange, passing east of Houston Avenue, and connected to an already-built portion atĀ I-610. The six-lane Pierce Elevated, which occupies half a block on the southwest side of Pierce Street, required the acquisition of a number of commercial properties; the cost prevented the full block from being used. This portion opened on August 18, 1967, connecting the Gulf and North Freeways and bypassing the “four-street distribution system”, which remains in its original form to this day.[15][33]
The first piece of the North Freeway to be built outside I-610 was an upgrade of existing US 75 on Stuebner Airline Road, between Airline Drive and Shepherd Drive, opened in December 1959. In April 1961, this was completed to the interchange with I-610, and on July 24, 1962 the downtown section was extended north to meet it. As each section opened, US 75 was moved to it, temporarily using I-610 to Airline Drive for about a year.[34]Ā At the other end, US 75 was upgraded fromĀ Spring CreekĀ at the north edge ofĀ SpringĀ north to theĀ San Jacinto RiverĀ south ofĀ ConroeĀ in 1960.[35]Ā In between, the upgrade was completed fromĀ Farm to Market Road 525Ā to near Richey Road in December 1961, south to the 1959 segment in February 1963, and north to the 1960 segment in March 1963, completing the North Freeway except for the Pierce Elevated (1967). The freeway as initially built had eight lanes (four in each direction) between downtown and I-610, six toĀ Farm to Market Road 1960, and four north of FM 1960.[15]
Like the Gulf Freeway, the North Freeway soon becameĀ congested. TheĀ oil boomĀ of the 1970s resulted in large-scaleĀ residential developmentĀ along the highway, most notablyĀ The Woodlands. Since the corridor was strongly directional, with 65% of peak-hour traffic going in the peak direction, a 9.6-mile (15.4Ā km)Ā contraflow laneĀ forĀ busesĀ and otherĀ high-occupancy vehiclesĀ (HOV) was implemented later that decade, opening on August 28, 1979 between downtown and Shepherd Drive (exit 56B). The facility, operating during bothĀ rush hourperiods, occupied the leftmost lane of the other direction, and was separated from the other lanes with a movableĀ pylonĀ every 40 feet (12 metres). In 1980, the existing centerĀ breakdown lanesĀ were restriped for HOV traffic for about two miles (3.2Ā km) from the north end of the contraflow lane. However, off-peak traffic was increasing, and construction began in 1983 on a more permanent reversible transitway in the median. This, the second transitway in Houston (a month after the one on theĀ Katy Freeway), opened on November 23, 1984, replacing the contraflow lane.[15][28]
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Car Accident Lawyers? Call theĀ Houston CarĀ Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
Reconstruction of the main lanes and frontage roads to handle increased traffic began in 1982 just north of downtown. No lanes were added south of I-610, but the eight-lane cross section, with room for a transitway, was continued north as construction progressed. Work was completed south of Airline Drive (exit 53) in about 1985, to Shepherd Drive (exit 56B) in 1987, and toĀ Farm to Market Road 525Ā (exit 60A) in 1990; this last opening allowed the transitway to extend to just south of FM 525. TheĀ Hardy Toll Road, completed on June 28, 1988 between I-610 and I-45 near The Woodlands, added capacity to that part of the corridor, and in 1990 reconstruction was completed on a short piece of I-45 from the toll road into The Woodlands. Reconstruction continued from FM 525, reaching Airtex Boulevard (exit 63) in 1997, including part of theĀ Sam Houston TollwayĀ interchange (completed in 2003) and a transitway extension, Cypresswood Drive (exit 68) in 1998, extending the transit way to its present terminus, and the Hardy Toll Road (exit 72) in 2003. Work on the section through The Woodlands to Research Forest Drive (exit 77) was completed in 2001, including a direct connection to Woodlands Parkway, and in 2003 work was completed toĀ Farm to Market Road 1488Ā (exit 81).[15]Ā Construction is now complete betweenĀ FM 1488(Exit 81) to the Walker County line near milepost 100 just south of the northbound truck weigh station andĀ New Waverly, nearĀ State Highway 75Ā (exit 98).[36]
As of 2015, widening of the North Freeway from Downtown Houston to Sam Houston Tollway began; The plan for the project is to widen the freeway by adding managed lanes and adding the North Shepherd on and off-ramps also known asĀ Texas State Highway Spur 261Ā (which was already completed) prior to the I-45 widening project.
Between Conroe and Richland
The first part of I-45 betweenĀ ConroeĀ andĀ RichlandĀ was the bypass aroundĀ Huntsville.[35]
The final piece of I-45 between the cities opened on October 13, 1971, for 12 miles (19Ā km) betweenĀ FairfieldĀ andĀ Streetman.[37]
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Car Accident Lawyers? Call theĀ Houston CarĀ Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
Richland to Dallas (Julius Schepps Freeway)
TheĀ Central ExpresswayĀ was the firstĀ freewayĀ inĀ Dallas, built as a new alignment of US 75. It first opened between San Jacinto Street and Fitzhugh Avenue in 1949, and soon stretched south toĀ Hutchins. However, the stretch through downtown ran along the surface, as did the part south of the bridge over theĀ Trinity River, due to diversion of funds to the north portion.[38]Ā By the late 1950s, a bypass to the east of the downtown section was planned.[39]Ā By the time construction reached Hutchins, in about 1955, the state decided to build further segments to full freeway standards. By 1961, the freeway was complete between Hutchins and theĀ State Highway 14Ā split atĀ Richland, except for the bypass aroundĀ Corsicana, which was built ca. 1964.[23][35]Ā This freeway was mostly built along the existing US 75; one of the projects inĀ Navarro County, near Corsicana, was the first Interstate project in Texas approved under theĀ Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956.[37]
At the time the interchange with I-20 was built, the freeway that crossed I-45 was then a part ofĀ I-635; it would not be until later when, initially, I-20 was added to I-635 as a multiplex, then later still, I-635 would be truncated away from the I-45 interchange (back around to just north of what is now I-20’s interchange with US 175).[43][44]
Reconstruction and widening to six lanes, from theĀ Ellis–NavarroĀ county line (between exits 243 and 244) north toĀ State Highway 310Ā (exit 275), began in 1991.[45]Ā The last section, near the north end, was completed in 2002.
IH 45 and Rankin Rd.
Number of Crashes (2012-2015):Ā 122
Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’Ā Houston Car Accident Lawyers? Call theĀ Houston CarĀ Accident Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.
North Freeway Interstate 45 Houston Car Accident Lawyer
It is advisable to consult Houston car accident attorneyĀ Reshard Alexander whoĀ will help determine liability and the right compensation amount that you should get for your injuries. The insurance company of the at-fault driver may not be willing to pay forĀ damages and I can help you with the negotiation process. Call me today atĀ (713) 766-3322Ā for a free consultation.
Houston Car Accident Lawyer Glove Compartment Guide
Most Dangerous Roads in Houston Links
610 Loop
Crosby Freeway US 90
Decker Drive Spur 330
Deke Slayton Blvd FM 518
Eastex Freeway US 59
Farm To Market Road 2920
Fort Bend Westpark Tollway
Grand Parkway State Highway 99
Hardy Toll Road
Katy Baytown Freeway Interstate 10
Lowry Expressway Farm To Market Road 1764
North Freeway Interstate 45
Northwest Freeway 290
Old Galveston State Highway 6
Sam Houston Tollway Beltway 8
Southwest Freeway Interstate 69
Tomball Parkway State Highway 249
Spur 527
Spur 5 Texas State Highway 35
La Porte Freeway State Highway 225
Texas State Highway 146
Texas State Highway 288
John F Kennedy Blvd
NASA Parkway
Attorney Reshard AlexanderĀ – Big Rig BullĀ Texas TruckĀ Accident LawyerĀ represents clients in all Texas counties, including: Anderson, Andrews, Angelina, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Austin, Bailey, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bosque, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Camp, Carson, Cass, Castro, Chambers, Cherokee,Childress, Clay, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Collin, Collingsworth, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dallas, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Delta, Denton, DeWitt, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Fort Bend, Franklin, Freestone, Frio, Gaines, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hale, Hall, Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Hardin, Harris County CarĀ Accident Lawyer, Harrison, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hockley, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Howard, Hudspeth, Hunt, Hutchinson, Irion, Jack, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, La Salle, Lamar, Lamb, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Madison, Marion, Martin, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Milam, Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Montgomery, Moore, Morris, Motley, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nolan, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Parmer, Pecos, Polk, Potter, Presidio, Rains, Randall, Reagan, Real, Red River, Reeves, Refugio, Roberts, Robertson, Rockwall, Runnels, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Shelby, Sherman, Smith, Somervell, Starr, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Terry, Throckmorton, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Ward, Washington, Webb, Wharton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Wood, Yoakum, Young, Zapata, and Zavala counties; and all Texas cities, including: Houston Truck Accident Lawyers, Aldine Truck Accident LawyersĀ , Algoa Truck Accident Lawyers, Alief Truck Accident Lawyers, Alvin Truck Accident Lawyers, Anahuac Truck Accident Lawyers, Angleton Truck Accident Lawyers, Atascocita Truck Accident Lawyers, Bay City Truck Accident Lawyers, Bayou Vista Truck Accident Lawyers, Baytown Truck Accident Lawyers, Bellaire Truck Accident Lawyers, Bellville TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Beaumont Truck Accident Lawyers, Brazoria Truck Accident Lawyers, Brenham Truck Accident Lawyers, Brookshire Truck Accident Lawyers, Bryan Truck Accident Lawyers, Cedar Creek Truck Accident Lawyers, Channelview Truck Accident Lawyers, China TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Clear Lake City Truck Accident Lawyers, Cleveland TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Clute Truck Accident Lawyers, Columbus TX Truck Accident Lawyers, College Station Truck Accident Lawyers, Conroe Truck Accident Lawyers, Crosby Truck Accident Lawyers, Cypress Truck Accident Lawyers, Dayton Truck Accident Lawyers, Deer Park Truck Accident Lawyers, Dickinson Truck Accident Lawyers, Eagle Lake Truck Accident Lawyers, East Bernard Truck Accident Lawyers, Edna Truck Accident Lawyers, El Campo Truck Accident Lawyers, Elmgrove Truck Accident Lawyers, Flatonia Truck Accident Lawyers, Freeport Truck Accident Lawyers, Fresno Truck Accident Lawyers, Friendswood Truck Accident Lawyers, Fulshear TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Galena Park Truck Accident Lawyers, Galveston Truck Accident Lawyers, Ganado TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Garden Villas Truck Accident Lawyers, Hardin Truck Accident Lawyers, Hearne Truck Accident Lawyers, Hempstead Truck Accident Lawyers, Hillcrest Truck Accident Lawyers, Hitchcock Truck Accident Lawyers, Hockley TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Humble Truck Accident Lawyers, Huntsville Truck Accident Lawyers, Inez Truck Accident Lawyers, Jacinto City Truck Accident Lawyers, Jamaica Beach Truck Accident Lawyers, Jersey Village Truck Accident Lawyers, Katy Truck Accident Lawyers, Kemah Truck Accident Lawyers, Kingwood TX Truck Accident Lawyers, La Marque Truck Accident Lawyers, La Porte Truck Accident Lawyers, Lake Jackson Truck Accident Lawyers, League City Truck Accident Lawyers, Liberty TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Liverpool TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Livingston TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Long Point TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Louise TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Lufkin Truck Accident Lawyers, Madisonville Truck Accident Lawyers, Magnolia Truck Accident Lawyers, Meadows Place Truck Accident Lawyers, Missouri City Truck Accident Lawyers, Montgomery Truck Accident Lawyers, Morgan’s Point Truck Accident Lawyers, Moss Hill Truck Accident Lawyers, Mount Belvieu Truck Accident Lawyers, Nacogdoches Truck Accident Lawyers, Navasota Truck Accident Lawyers, Nassau Bay Truck Accident Lawyers, Needville Truck Accident Lawyers, Pasadena TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Pearland Truck Accident Lawyers, Port Bolivar Truck Accident Lawyers, Porter Truck Accident Lawyers, Prairie View Truck Accident Lawyers, Richmond Truck Accident Lawyers, Rosenberg Truck Accident Lawyers, Rosharon Truck Accident Lawyers, San Leon Truck Accident Lawyers, Seabrook Truck Accident Lawyers, Schulenburg Truck Accident Lawyers, Sealy Truck Accident Lawyers, Shenandoah Truck Accident Lawyers, Shoreacres Truck Accident Lawyers, Southside Place Truck Accident Lawyers, Spring Truck Accident Lawyers, Spring Branch Truck Accident Lawyers, Stafford Truck Accident Lawyers, Sugar Land Truck Accident Lawyers, Texas City Truck Accident Lawyers, Todd Mission Truck Accident Lawyers, Tomball Truck Accident Lawyers, Van Vleck Truck Accident Lawyers, Waller TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Webster Truck Accident Lawyers, West Columbia TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Wharton Truck Accident Lawyers, Willis TX Truck Accident Lawyers, Winnie Truck Accident Lawyers, and The Woodlands Truck Accident Lawyers.