A major crash Tuesday morning closed I-45 southbound at Crighton Road in Conroe, snarling traffic for commuters headed toward The Woodlands and Houston.
A serious crash Tuesday morning brought I-45 southbound to a halt at Crighton Road in Conroe, according to Montgomery County Police Reporter, which logged the closure at 9:15 a.m. The incident reduced one of the region's busiest commuter corridors to a single lane at a point where thousands of Montgomery County drivers funnel south toward The Woodlands and Houston each day.
For Conroe residents, the closure hit during the busiest morning commute, meaning anyone heading south on I-45 from downtown Conroe, Willis, or points north faced significant delays. Drivers unfamiliar with alternate routes should know that FM 1488 and Loop 336 can serve as detour options, though both carry heavy traffic on their own during rush periods.
The backup stretched back toward Willis and affected commuters from Splendora and Porter who rely on I-45 as their primary route into the greater Houston metro area. Businesses along the Crighton Road corridor and near the Conroe ISD administrative area also felt the slowdown as delivery and service traffic competes with diverted passenger vehicles.
I-45 through Conroe has a history of serious crashes. The stretch between Willis and The Woodlands consistently ranks among the most congested segments in Montgomery County, and morning incidents near interchanges tend to cascade quickly because there are few parallel high-capacity roads. TxDOT has studied the corridor for years as part of a larger plan for expanding highways in North Houston.
Motorists should monitor TxDOT's DriveTexas portal for real-time lane status before heading out, as conditions at the Crighton Road location may shift through the late morning hours.
