Shell Freedom Over Texas traffic closures to know in downtown Houston ahead of July 4 event

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The countdown is on to the annual Shell Freedom Over Texas celebration.

The event, which starts at 4 p.m. and lasts until 10 p.m., is again at Eleanor Tinsley Park, and 50,000 people are expected to attend.

If you plan to head down there or if you’ll be elsewhere but in the area, you’ll want to look out for these traffic closures.

Sunday, July 2, 7 a.m. to Wednesday, July 5, 5 a.m.

• Allen Parkway north and southbound exit ramps from I-45 (South and North Freeways)

• Allen Parkway outbound at Bagby

• Allen Parkway inbound at Taft

• No access to I-45/Heiner/Crosby until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5

• Sabine Street at Memorial Drive and at the Bridge

• Sabine Street at Bridge, blocking south bound traffic to Allen Parkway

• Gillette Street (mid-block) by Federal building (after apartment entrance)

• Walker and Sabine access blocked to Allen Parkway and Sabine Street

• I-45 North on-ramp and the loop to McKinney remains open

• Crosby Street at W. Dallas Street

• Heiner Street at W. Dallas Street

While it only affected traffic temporarily, the NASA Rover moved across Houston freeways on Monday morning from its base at Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake, Texas, so that it can be featured in the Space City Experience Exhibit during the celebration downtown.

The Space Exploration Vehicle, or SEV, is 6,600 pounds. It’s a prototype of a pressurized rover that robots and astronauts can use to explore space. NASA is testing concepts for a new generation of roving space exploration vehicles.

If you want to avoid traffic or leaving the house entirely, remember that you can watch Shell Freedom Over Texas at 7 p.m. on ABC13.