Gulf Freeway Construction to be Completed in 2026 Near Lago Mar

Wondering when construction on the Gulf Freeway will be done? Good news: the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) says construction should wrap up next year on the stretch of I-45 nearest Lago Mar while construction on I-45 to the south will last another few years.

Residents of Lago Mar have convenient access to the nearby burgeoning communities of Dickinson, La Marque and other Houston-area suburbs via I-45. TxDOT began the first of seven widening projects on I-45 in Galveston County nearly a decade ago in June 2017. The first two parts, which have been completed, expanded the highway to 10 lanes between NASA Road 1 and FM 517 in Dickinson, according to Galveston County’s The Daily News.

The next project to be finished will be the widening of I-45 to eight lanes between FM 517 north of Lago Mar to FM 1764 south of Lago Mar, which is intended to ease congestion, improve safety and accommodate future growth of the region, according to a social media update in May from TxDOT’s Houston district. The $230 million expansion is slated for completion in winter 2026, eliminating any traffic headaches to and from Lago Mar.

The full $1 billion I-45 expansion project goes south to 61st Street in Galveston with construction estimated to last until the end of 2029, TxDOT officials previously shared.

The highway widening down to FM 519 in La Marque is set to finish by the middle of 2026, according to The Daily News.

South of Lago Mar, widening projects on I-45 between FM 519 and the Texas City Wye and between the Texas City Wye and north of the Galveston Causeway are slated to be finished by early 2029, according to information published last fall in The Daily News.

As of July 2025, TxDOT’s Project Tracker database lists these projects as being 58.19% complete and 51.68% complete, respectively.

The final stretch of construction on I-45 is set to widen the highway between the Galveston Causeway and 61st Street to eight lanes, with work beginning in mid 2026 and taking about three years to complete, according to The Daily News.

With an end in sight for construction and an easier commute ahead, now’s the time to settle in to resort life at Lago Mar, developed by Starwood Land, and find your new home.