I-45 northbound crash at McIlhenny; 59 incidents in 30 days

A Chevrolet van crashed on northbound I-45 near McIlhenny Street at 11:02 AM Monday, June 29, shutting lanes and backing up traffic in a corridor that's been hit hard by collisions over the past month.

This stretch of I-45 north has seen 59 incidents in the past 30 days alone, according to LocalTrafficAccidents.com data — a pace that underscores how frequently drivers here are dealing with crashes. Over the past 90 days, 164 total incidents have been recorded at this location, including 69 classified as major. The sheer volume of traffic through this area, combined with the density of incidents, makes Monday's wreck one of many drivers on this corridor will experience in their commute patterns.

Responding officers worked the scene as lanes remained impacted through the mid-morning hours. The van's involvement meant additional complexity in clearing the roadway, though specific lane closure counts and duration weren't immediately available as crews worked.

The timing of this crash sits outside the typical weekday commute surge at this location. According to LTA data, most crashes here fall outside the standard rush-hour window — the single busiest hour on record is 9 to 10 PM, when 13 crashes have occurred. Monday's late-morning incident, therefore, hit during a period when traffic is ordinarily lighter, though the I-45 corridor's overall volume means even off-peak hours carry substantial flow.

Historically, this intersection has been a persistent hotspot. Per TxDOT CRIS public crash records dating back to January 2020, the area within about a quarter-mile has logged 1,101 crashes, including 5 fatals. Contributing factors as recorded by investigating officers show that "Failed To Control Speed" appears in 427 of those crashes — the single most common factor documented at this corridor. That pattern suggests speed management remains a significant issue here, independent of weather or time of day.

Conditions at the time of the Monday crash were clear — 93 degrees and sunny skies — which rules out wet pavement or reduced visibility as contributing factors in this particular incident.

Monday's wreck is part of a broader pattern. Over the past 12 months, this location has seen 229 total incidents, with 107 classified as major. Fridays historically carry the highest incident count at this corridor, with 21 crashes recorded over the 90-day period.

Authorities cleared the scene and traffic flow resumed as the afternoon progressed. Drivers heading northbound on I-45 near McIlhenny should expect residual delays as crews finished their work and the roadway returned to normal capacity.