Your Upgrade from Shepherd Dr. to the North Fwy. Will Be Much Smoother Starting Today

YOUR UPGRADE FROM SHEPHERD DR. TO THE NORTH FWY. WILL BE MUCH SMOOTHER STARTING TODAY New Shepherd I-45 Connector Ramp, Acres Homes, HoustonToday at noon TxDOT opened the brand new connector ramp pictured here, which has been under construction since December 2013. It links northbound traffic at the northern end of Shepherd Dr. to northbound I-45. Wasn’t there a way to get from Shepherd to I-45 already? Yes, but it brought cars into the freeway’s left lane. The new flyover crosses over the freeway to bring drivers onto I-45’s right lane; it hops over the Little York, Victory Blvd., and Veterans Memorial intersections on the way. A separate connector from I-45 south to Shepherd is scheduled to open later this summer. [TxDOT] Photo: TxDOT

8 Comment

  • Finally! Now eliminate the ones from Allen Parkway to 45S, 35/Reveille to 45N and Louisiana onto I10 west. And also remove the fuckwits that dart from right lane all the way over to left speed lane and only drive at or just below the speed limit.

  • This article is inaccurate. The northbound connector does not go over Little York and Victory, only Veterans Memorial. Only the southbound connector goes over all three streets.

  • Wow 1.5 years for a one-lane ramp. Still won’t get back the lost hours of my life last month on a Saturday morning at 7 am when there should have been no traffic, but alas….

  • The rumor was that they were going to finally connect and complete 610 south/east by Gulfgate Mall. Does anyone have a time table on that ? By the way that area is starting to fill up with the Old Auchan building becoming an electrical supply and another empty building on 610 east becoming a charter school.

  • “The rumor was that they were going to finally connect and complete 610 south/east by Gulfgate Mall. Does anyone have a time table on that ?”

    October 1, 2148, on the 200th anniversary of the opening I-45. Also on that date, I-45 will finally cross into the Oklahoma territory, becoming a full-fledged interstate.

  • This ramp will now allow more traffic to use Shepherd as an alternate to the freeway system. Thus creating longer delays for those who use surface roads to travel. What is sorely required is a road that would flyover Memorial Park adding a much needed way to travel from the inner loop north. Currently, the only options are the West Loop and Kirby/Shepherd. Both of which are overly congested at most times of the day. It doesn’t help that Shepherd is down to two lanes from four in stretch from Westheimer to Dallas while the city installs much needed storm drainage.

  • Kirby should be extended over the bayou to connect to Westcott, instead of just turning into Shepard/Allen Parkway. I don’t think under the bayou is feasible, but would be a better alternative. This would then connect Kirby to I-10/610 via Westcott/Washington/Old Katy Road/Hempstead. But it will never happen because it will require the destruction/removal of at least some River Oak homes and potentially the Hogg Bird Sanctuary. No other option makes any sense.

  • Were is the entrance ramp to get on fly by going I-45N?