A significant collision at the interchange of I-45 South and FM-1960 brought traffic to a crawl Saturday evening at 5:29 PM on February 28, 2026. The crash created a major backup along one of Harris County's busiest corridors during what should have been a manageable time on the weekend.
The timing couldn't have been worse for northbound drivers heading toward The Woodlands or those cutting across from the I-45 corridor toward Spring. Expect delays extending well into the evening commute period. Drivers heading north on I-45 should consider taking TX-288 as an alternate route, or routing through local streets in the Spring/Stuebner Airline area. Those coming from the west on FM-1960 may find it faster to hop on TX-59 North instead, adding some distance but saving considerable time compared to sitting in backup traffic.
This stretch of I-45 near FM-1960 has long been a pressure point for traffic, particularly where the interchange merges multiple lanes of traffic. The area sits at the confluence of commuter traffic from Spring, The Woodlands, and drivers connecting between I-45 and the northern Harris County arteries. On weekdays, this intersection easily handles 200,000-plus vehicles daily. Even on Saturday evenings, the volume can surprise drivers unfamiliar with the region's growth patterns.
The southbound lanes appeared to absorb the worst of the incident's impact. The crash forced traffic to consolidate into fewer lanes, and backup stretched for miles upstream. Recovery crews worked to clear the roadway, though the exact status of lane reopenings remained fluid as of the evening's peak traffic window. Drivers should anticipate delays on feeder roads and local streets throughout Spring and Stuebner Airline as traffic diverts from the interstate.
Before this incident, the location had little recent crash history.
The 12 weeks since this incident have brought 6 more crashes here. 4 of those were classified as major.
Multiple crashes piled up over consecutive days.
Counts run through May 29, 2026.
This report was produced by LTA's editor-designed production system under the executive editorial direction of Dennis R. Mundy, Executive Editor. The system combines our proprietary data pipeline with AI-assisted drafting to deliver verified incident coverage to LTA's editorial standards.