A serious vehicle collision brought traffic to a crawl on northbound I-45 near Exit 60A at 4:21 PM on Saturday, February 14, 2026. Emergency crews responded to the crash in Harris County, creating significant backups during what should have been a manageable afternoon commute window.
The timing couldn't have been worse for Saturday travelers. With Valentine's Day plans already underway across the Houston area, drivers heading north on I-45 faced substantial delays radiating back toward downtown. Those with flexibility should consider taking the Eastex Freeway northbound or routing through surface streets via 59 North as alternatives. The Sam Houston Tollway also offers a longer but potentially faster bypass for drivers in the south Houston area trying to reach north side destinations.
Exit 60A sits in a corridor that typically handles heavy weekend traffic, particularly during holiday periods when families head north toward The Woodlands and beyond. The stretch near this exit has seen its share of incidents over the years, making it a critical chokepoint during peak travel times. Nearby landmarks include the area between the Greens and Greenspoint, with the interchange serving as a major gateway for drivers transitioning between I-45 and local roads in north-central Houston.
The crash occurred in the northbound lanes, affecting traffic in that direction most severely. Authorities hadn't cleared the scene by mid-afternoon, suggesting the incident involved significant vehicle damage or injuries that required extended emergency response time. Drivers using I-45 North should anticipate extended travel times and consider postponing non-urgent trips until the roadway reopens fully. Spillover congestion was expected to back up into the downtown interchange area and affect on-ramp access points throughout central Houston.
Sources: TxDOT Crash Records Information System and Local Traffic Accidents database. Counts through October 1, 2026.
In the month preceding this crash, 9 incidents had been documented here.
In the 236 days since this incident, the location has seen 225 more crashes. 141 of those were classified as major. 4 of those that followed this incident was fatal.
Crash frequency at the location has increased after this incident.
Multiple crashes piled up over consecutive days.
Taken together, the counts place this stretch in the upper tier for crashes locally.
Current through September 28, 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.