Major Crash on I-45 North at Mount Houston Road in Harris County — ...

A major crash shut down northbound lanes of I-45 near the SH 249/Mount Houston Road interchange early Sunday morning, April 05, 2026, at 3:32 AM. Harris County emergency crews responded to the collision, which blocked traffic flow on one of the region's most critical north-south corridors during the pre-dawn commute period.

The incident occurred during a time when northbound I-45 typically carries heavy truck traffic heading toward The Woodlands and beyond. Northbound drivers faced significant delays as emergency personnel worked the scene. Commuters heading north had the option to divert onto SH 249 eastbound toward Greenspoint or take local surface streets through the Mount Houston area, though those routes also carry considerable early-morning volume. The FM 1960 corridor provided another alternative for drivers able to backtrack slightly.

The stretch of I-45 north where this crash occurred has proven itself a persistent trouble spot. Over the past 90 days alone, TranStar data shows seven major incidents at this exact location—a concentration that reflects the corridor's challenging geometry and the volume of traffic it handles. The interchange itself sits at a critical juncture where local traffic merges with through-traffic heading toward Willis, Huntsville, and points further north. Sunday morning accidents here tend to back up traffic well south of the impact zone, affecting the I-45/I-610 interchange and the Greenspoint area.

The crash remained under active investigation in the early morning hours. The northbound direction bore the brunt of the closure. Drivers heading into the northern suburbs and beyond should have prepared for extended travel times and considered delaying their trips until normal traffic patterns resumed. The timing—though relatively light for a Sunday at that hour—still caused meaningful delays for delivery trucks, early-shift workers, and other early-morning travelers on this vital corridor.