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Interstate 45




Interstate 45 (abbreviated '''I-45''') is an Intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Texas , United States . Like other interstates, it is commonly referred to as I-45. Its odd number indicates that it is primarily a north-south highway. Its southern end is in Galveston, Texas (where the mile count begins) at the intersection of Texas State Highway 87 and Spur 342 ; its northern end is in Dallas, Texas at Interstate 30 . ( Interstate 345 , an unmarked interstate, seamlessly carries traffic from the I-45 terminus at I-30 to US 75 's southern terminus at Spur 366 . {Link without Title} )

Unlike most of the other interstates ending in "5", it is not a border-to-border highway.


MAJOR CITIES

Bolded cities are officially-designated Control Cities for signs.


INTERSECTIONS WITH OTHER INTERSTATES



SPUR ROUTES




NOTES

  • I-45 is not only an Intrastate Interstate , but is also the shortest major Interstate (ending in 0 or 5). I-45 is also the longest intrastate Interstate not to touch any state or national borders ( Interstate 87 in New York is longer but reaches the Canadian border).

  • Interstate 45 gained notoriety during Hurricane Rita in 2005. Thousands of Houston area evacuees jammed the roadway trying to leave. As a result, the freeway became a parking lot. Gas stations ran dry and hundreds of people's cars simply ran empty, their occupants having to spend the night along the shoulder. Four-hour drives suddenly became 24-hour drives. Even though the Texas Department Of Transportation started Contraflow Lane Reversal at FM 1488 , it didn't alleviate the traffic jam deep into the city, as that starting point was even north of The Woodlands , which is close to Conroe , the northern terminus of the greater Houston area.



SEE ALSO



REFERENCES

  • 2005 Rand McNally "The Road Atlas 2005" - newest feature- interstate mileage by state