IH-610 northbound wreck at Hempstead closes lanes Saturday morning

A major crash shut down the northbound lanes of IH-610 West Loop at Hempstead Road early Saturday morning at 3:18 AM, leaving one travel lane blocked and backups stretching across the inner loop.

The wreck involved multiple vehicles, and crews responded to clear the debris and restore traffic flow. The incident tied up the northbound stretch for several hours during what would normally be light overnight traffic, but the early-morning timing still disrupted some pre-dawn commuters and commercial traffic moving through the loop.

If you're heading north on the West Loop this morning and see delays around Hempstead, that's what's still lingering from this incident. The good news: crews have been working to reopen lanes, though expect some residual slowdowns as traffic restabilizes.

According to LocalTrafficAccidents.com data, Waller County has logged 37 incidents in the past 30 days across all corridors—a reminder that crashes don't stick to peak hours or sunny days.

If you need to move across the inner loop right now, surface streets offer a workaround. Westheimer, Richmond, or Bellaire all run parallel to the West Loop on that side, or shift to the north loop using Irvington or Fulton. They'll add time to your route, but you'll skip the backup.

Check traffic apps for real-time updates on lane reopening status. The incident should clear soon, but if you're on the loop, give yourself extra time and stay alert for lane reductions.

Update (4:45 AM CT): The major crash at IH-610 West Loop Northbound at Hempstead Road, first reported at 3:18 AM, has cleared after approximately 1 hour and 27 minutes. All lanes have reopened and normal traffic flow has resumed in the area.