Construction on the Gulf Freeway between NASA Road 1 and the Galveston County line at Clear Creek is expected to create lengthy delays for drivers this weekend.

Work crews will be working on beams spanning over the freeway for the new ramps leading to and from the Gulf Freeway at the new NASA Road 1.

Meanwhile, construction closures on the Katy Freeway, its feeders and ramps will make driving on the west side of Houston challenging.

On Interstate 45 South (the Gulf Freeway) this weekend, all south- and northbound main lanes will be closed between NASA Road 1 and FM 518 in Galveston County from 9 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Monday.

All traffic will be detoured to the frontage road, both south- and northbound.

Northbound motorists may choose to exit I-45 at FM 518 as an alternate route, getting around the construction congestion by using either Texas 3 (Old Galveston Road) or Texas 146 and then accessing I-45 by using Bay Area Boulevard, El Dorado or Clear Lake City Boulevard.

Additional closures will also be in place during the weekend:

-- The southbound entrance ramp from Bay Area Boulevard will be closed 9 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Monday.

-- One lane will be closed on the northbound frontage road between FM 518 to Kobayashi Street from 9 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Saturday.

-- A total closure of the northbound frontage road is also scheduled between Kobayashi Street and Texas Avenue in Webster from 9 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Saturday. The frontage road will reopen for four hours, 5-9 a.m. Saturday, and will be closed again 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Travel information is available on the Houston TranStar Web site at www.houstontranstar.org. Motorists will also be able to use the Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) to keep informed of current roadway conditions by tuning in to the identified radio station while traveling.

All closures are subject to change because of bad weather.

Katy Freeway weekend construction closures

Below is a list of the scheduled closures invovled in the Interstate 10 West (Katy Freeway) construction project this weekend this weekend:

DAIRY ASHFORD to east of KIRKWOOD:

-- One outside lane of the I-10/KATY FREEWAY westbound frontage road at KIRKWOOD RD will be closed on Friday, May 4 from 9 AM to 3 PM.

-- Alternate lanes of northbound and southbound KIRKWOOD at I-10/KATY FREEWAY will be closed Friday, May 4 from 9 AM to 3 PM.

-- There will be a TOTAL CLOSURE of northbound and southbound DAIRY ASHFORD at I-10/Katy Freeway nightly from 9 PM to 5 AM, Sunday, May 6 through Tuesday, May 8. Northbound traffic will detour west on St. Mary's, north on Threadneedle to I-10 eastbound frontage road to Dairy Ashford. Southbound traffic will detour to the I-10 westbound frontage road, u-turn at Eldridge to the I-10 eastbound frontage road, south on Threadneedle, east on St. Mary's to Dairy Ashford.

I-10/BELTWAY 8 INTERCHANGE:

-- One inside lane of the I-10/KATY FREEWAY westbound frontage road at WILCREST DR will be closed on Friday, May 4 from 8 AM to 3 PM.

-- There will be a TOTAL CLOSURE of the I-10/Katy Freeway eastbound frontage road between Beltway 8-West and Attingham from 9 PM Friday, May 4 until 5 AM Monday, May 7. From the Beltway 8 northbound frontage road make a right on Queensbury and a left on Town and Country Lane to access the eastbound frontage road.

BETWEEN BELTWAY 8 and I-610

-- There will be a TOTAL CLOSURE of the I-10/KATY FREEWAY westbound frontage road between CAMPBELL and BLALOCK beginning 9 PM, Friday, May 4 until 12 PM, Saturday, May 5.

-- There will be a TOTAL CLOSURE of the I-10/KATY FREEWAY westbound frontage road from CAMPBELL RD to BADE from 9 PM, Friday, May 4 to noon, Saturday, May 5. Detour on Campbell northbound, to Westview westbound, to Blalock southbound, to the frontage road.

-- There will be a TOTAL CLOSURE of northbound and southbound WITTE ROAD at the I-10/KATY FREEWAY westbound frontage road until 9 AM, Wednesday, August 1. Northbound detour to Gessner northbound, to Westview eastbound, to Witte; southbound detour to Westview eastbound, to Bunker Hill southbound, to I-10 frontage road.

-- One outside lane of the I-10/KATY FREEWAY eastbound frontage road from FROSTWOOD to GESSNER will be closed continuously until 5 AM, Wednesday, May 9.

I-10/I-610 INTERCHANGE

-- There will be a TOTAL CLOSURE of the southbound I-610/WEST LOOP direct connector to eastbound and westbound I-10/KATY FREEWAY and the southbound exit ramp to KATY ROAD on Friday, May 4 from 9 PM to 6 AM. Detour to I-610 southbound to Woodway and u-turn to I- 610 northbound, to I-10 east- or westbound.

-- Two outside lanes of southbound I-610/WEST LOOP from US-290 NORTHWEST to I-10 KATY/FREEWAY and the exit ramp to W. 18th STREET will be closed overnight from 9 PM, Friday, May 4 to 6 AM, Saturday, May 5.

-- One outside lane of westbound I-10/KATY FREEWAY from I-610/WEST LOOP to the SILBER/ANTOINE exit will be closed overnight from 9 PM, Friday, May 4 to 6 AM, Saturday, May 5.

-- Three inside lanes of southbound I-610/WEST LOOP from US-290 NORTHWEST to I-10 KATY/FREEWAY and the exit ramp to W. 18th STREET will be closed overnight from 9 PM, Saturday, May 5 to 6 AM, Sunday, May 6. One lane will remain open.