Weekend Construction: Northwest Freeway, Gulf Freeway, and NCAA Final Four weekend

HOUSTON – If you’re headed out this weekend, here’s a heads-up on a few closures happening. KPRC 2 Traffic Expert Anavid Reyes reached out to the Texas Department of Transportation, and they said closures that are already in place, will remain in place. These closures are weather-dependent, and could be rescheduled due to inclement conditions. Drive carefully!

Northwest Freeway Connectors to West Beltway

• There will be a total closure of the US 290 direct connector ramps to the Sam Houston Tollway beginning Friday, March 31 at 10 p.m. through Monday, April 3 at 5 a.m.
• Closure Details:
  • The eastbound US 290 direct connector ramps to the northbound/southbound Sam Houston Tollway will be closed.
  • The westbound US 290 direct connector ramps to the northbound/southbound Sam Houston Tollway will be closed.

Gulf Freeway

• IH-45 Gulf Freeway northbound between SH-96 and NASA 1 two alternating lanes will be closed starting Friday, March 31 at 9 p.m. until Monday, April 3 at 5 a.m. To facilitate the work, crews will also need to close the IH-45 Gulf Freeway northbound entrance ramp from SH-96. The striping work will allow for the IH-45 Gulf Freeway northbound main lane traffic to be moved onto new pavement.

NCAA Final Four weekend

• The entrances to the March Madness Music Festival are located on Avenida De Las Americas at Dallas and McKinney streets, near the Hilton Americas and Mariott Marquis hotels.
  • Gates will open at the following times:
    • AT&T Block Party - Friday, March 31: 4 p.m.
    • Coca-Cola Move - Saturday, April 1: 3 p.m.
    • Capital One JamFest - Sunday, April 2: 2:30 p.m.
• METRO: You can ride the rail for free! METRORail will be able to take yo to the Final Four festivities for free from Friday, March 31 through Monday, April 3. The free rides are on the red, green and purple rail lines.
• Downtown Parking: Thousands of drivers will flood the streets in Downtown Houston, so if you’re expecting to park down there, plan ahead.

Longterm closures:

59/610 interchange

• Starting Friday, April 29 at 9 p.m., crews will close the I-69 Southwest Freeway southbound connector ramp to I-610 West Loop southbound for two years.
• The Westheimer Road entrance ramp from the Galleria towards the West Loop southbound main lanes will be closed for the next 9-12 months.

North Freeway

• The southbound I-45 North Freeway service road, south of Cypresswood Drive, is closed due to the Cypress Creek Bridge being reconstructed by TxDOT. If you need to get a location south of the area towards FM-1960, you need to get on the main lanes of I-45 and exit at Richey Road.

Houston TranStar has a full list of active closures, for a full updated list, click here.