|
Grade Separations |
Improvement Classification Level |
Estimated Cost |
Estimated Public
Benefit |
Ratio:
Benefit/Cost |
|
Bellaire |
3 |
$16,000,000 |
$5,200,000 |
0.33 |
|
Houston |
3 |
$13,000,000 |
$9,500,000 |
0.73 |
|
Richmond |
3 |
$28,000,000 |
$7,500,000 |
0.27 |
|
San Felipe |
3 |
$31,000,000 |
$8,400,000 |
0.27 |
|
Shepherd - Durham |
3 |
$29,000,000 |
$25,000,000 |
0.86 |
|
TC Jester |
3 |
$8,400,000 |
$2,200,000 |
0.26 |
|
Westheimer |
3 |
$63,000,000 |
$7,000,000 |
0.11 |
|
Total Identified Improvements |
$188,400,000 |
$64,800,000 |
|
Bellaire Boulevard
Bellaire Boulevard is currently a six-lane roadway that crosses the railroad
at-grade in Harris County within the City of Bellaire. Approximately 50,700
vehicles cross the UPRR Railroad at this location daily. According to collision
data received from the H-GAC Traffic Safety Program and the FRA, one crash
occurred at the Bellaire Boulevard crossing between 1990 and 2003. The
identified six-lane overpass would separate vehicular traffic from the UPRR
Terminal Subdivision.
Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via at-grade access roads
alongside the main roadway along with at-grade u-turns located beneath the
overpass on the east side of the railroad.
Environmental Constraints
The primary constraints located in the vicinity of Bellaire Boulevard include
adjacent residential, industrial, and public and institutional properties and
wetlands. Additional environmental constraints mapping may be required for
further analysis. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties accounts
for approximately 45 percent of the estimated cost to implement this grade
separation.
Cost
The Bellaire Boulevard is estimated to cost $16,000,000.
The estimated public benefit calculated for the Bellaire
Boulevard is $5,200,000, which is approximately 33 percent of the estimated cost
of construction.
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Houston Avenue
Houston Avenue is currently a four-lane roadway that crosses the UPRR Terminal
Subdivision freight mainline at-grade and underpasses the UPRR Terminal
Subdivision passenger mainline in Harris County within Houston, located south of
Interstate 10 and north of Memorial Drive. Approximately 33,600 vehicles and a
METRO bus route cross the UPRR Railroad at Houston Avenue daily. According to
collision data received from the H-GAC Traffic Safety Program and the FRA, two
crashes occurred at the Houston Avenue crossing between 1990 and 2003.
Grade separating Houston Avenue underneath the Terminal Subdivision freight
mainline would separate vehicular traffic from the UPRR Terminal Subdivision
freight traffic. The existing underpass Passenger
Main would be removed and Houston Avenue would cross these tracks at-grade. The
existing underpass would have to be removed due to the design requirements (the
change in grade, or in other words the slope of the roadway) of the new grade
separation. Leaving the existing underpass in place would require too steep of a
slope of the roadway. It is anticipated that with the potential double tracking
of the freight mainline that the passenger mainline would be used to service
local customers only and would have less rail traffic than the freight
mainlines.
The Houston Avenue would conflict with the existing METRO
bus route that runs along Crockett Street and crosses Houston Avenue. The bus
route would either be required to follow the at-grade access road and loop
underneath the Houston Avenue overpass, or reroute to the adjacent street to the
north, Shearne Street to cross Houston Avenue.
Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via an at-grade access road
alongside the main roadway along with an at-grade u-turn located above the
underpass on the north side of the freight mainline. Adjacent properties on the
south side of the freight mainline are able to access Houston Avenue via Edwards
Street, or along Houston Avenue which will remain at-grade south of Edwards
Street.
Environmental Constraints
The environmental constraints located in the vicinity of Houston Avenue
consist of adjacent residential, commercial, and industrial properties,
churches, a school, a fire station, and a leaking petroleum storage tank.
Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties accounts for approximately
31 percent of the estimated cost to implement this grade separation.
Cost
The Houston Avenue is estimated to cost $13,000,000. The
estimated public benefit calculated for the Houston Avenue
is $9,500,000, which is approximately 73 percent of the estimated cost of
construction.
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Richmond Avenue
Richmond Avenue, a major east-west arterial that extends from downtown to west
Houston, is currently a six-lane roadway that crosses the railroad at-grade in
Harris County within Houston, inside Loop 610. Approximately 47,000 vehicles
cross the UPRR at this location daily. The identified six-lane overpass would
separate vehicular traffic from the UPRR Terminal Subdivision. Approximately
33,600 vehicles and a METRO bus route cross the UPRR Railroad at Houston Avenue
daily. According to collision data received from the H-GAC Traffic Safety
Program and the FRA, two crashes occurred at the Richmond Avenue crossing
between 1990 and 2003.
Environmental Constraints
The environmental constraints located in the vicinity of Richmond Avenue
include adjacent residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Additional
environmental constraints mapping may be required for further analysis.
Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via access roads alongside
the main roadway along with at-grade u-turns located beneath the overpass on
each side of the railroad. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties
accounts for approximately 68 percent of the estimated cost to implement this
grade separation.
Cost
The Richmond Avenue is estimated to cost $28,000,000. The
estimated public benefit calculated for the Richmond Avenue
is $7,500,000, which is approximately 27 percent of the estimated cost of
construction.
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San Felipe Street
San Felipe Street is currently a four-lane roadway that crosses the railroad
at-grade in Harris County in the Uptown District of west Houston near Loop 610.
Approximately 44,500 vehicles cross the UPRR at this location daily. The
identified four-lane overpass would separate vehicular traffic from the UPRR
Terminal Subdivision. According to collision data received from the H-GAC
Traffic Safety Program and the FRA, one crash occurred at the San Felipe Street
crossing between 1990 and 2003.
Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via at-grade access roads
alongside the main roadway along with at-grade u-turns located beneath the
overpass on each side of the railroad.
Environmental Constraints
The environmental constraints located in the vicinity of San Felipe Street
include adjacent residential (single and multi-family), commercial, and
industrial properties. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties
accounts for approximately 77 percent of the estimated cost to implement this
grade separation.
Cost
The San Felipe Street is estimated to cost $31,000,000.
The estimated public benefit calculated for the San Felipe
Street is $8,400,000, which is approximately 27 percent of the estimated cost of
construction.
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Shepherd Drive and Durham Drive
Shepherd Drive and Durham Drive are currently four-lane roadways that cross the
railroad at-grade in Harris County, located west of downtown, inside Loop 610
and south of Interstate 10. These two streets operate as one-way pairs, with
northbound traffic including a METRO bus route traveling on Shepherd Drive, and
southbound traffic including a METRO bus route on Durham Drive. A combined
average of 63,000 vehicles cross the railroad at these locations daily. These
one way pairs are identified to be combined into a single overpass over the
Terminal Subdivision, which would separate vehicular traffic from the railroad.
Access for properties east of Shepherd Drive will be maintained by an
at-grade access road which would run alongside the overpass. Access for
properties west of Durham Drive would remain unchanged. Access for many of the
properties in between Shepherd Drive and Durham Drive would be eliminated, which
has been accounted for in the costs of right-of-way acquisition.
Environmental Constraints
The environmental constraints located in the vicinity of Shepherd Drive and
Durham Drive include adjacent residential, commercial, and industrial
properties. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties accounts for
approximately 49 percent of the estimated cost to implement this grade
separation.
Cost
The Shepherd Drive and Durham Drive is estimated to cost
$29,000,000. The estimated public benefit calculated for the
Shepherd Drive and Durham Drive is $25,000,000, which is approximately 86
percent of the estimated cost of construction.
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TC Jester Boulevard
TC Jester Boulevard, a major north-south arterial located inside Loop 610, is
currently a four-lane roadway that crosses the railroad at-grade in Harris
County. The grade separation location is immediately south of Interstate 10.
Approximately 8,000 vehicles and a METRO bus route cross the UPRR at this
location daily. The identified four-lane overpass would separate vehicular
traffic from the UPRR Terminal Subdivision.
Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via at-grade access roads
alongside the main roadway along with at-grade u-turns located beneath the
overpass on each side of the railroad.
Environmental Constraints
The environmental constraints located in the vicinity of TC Jester Blvd
include adjacent residential, commercial, and industrial properties.
Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties accounts for approximately
28 percent of the estimated cost to implement this grade separation.
Cost
The TC Jester Blvd is estimated to cost $8,400,000. The estimated
public benefit calculated for the TC Jester Blvd
is $2,200,000, which is approximately 26 percent of the cost of construction.
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Westheimer Road
Westheimer Road is a six-lane roadway that crosses the railroad at-grade in
Harris County within Houston, located inside of Loop 610. Westheimer Road is a
major east-west arterial that traverses Houston from downtown to Houston’s
Uptown District. Approximately 45,000 vehicles cross the UPRR at this location
daily. According to collision data received from the H-GAC and the FRA, one
crash occurred at the Westheimer Road crossing between 1990 and 2003.
The identified six-lane overpass would separate vehicular traffic from the
UPRR Terminal Subdivision.
Environmental Constraints
The environmental constraints located in the vicinity of Westheimer Road
include adjacent residential and commercial properties, many of which are very
high in value. The properties include apartment homes, commercial offices, and
retail shopping centers.
Access to adjacent properties will be maintained via access roads alongside
the main roadway along with at-grade u-turns located beneath the overpass on
each side of the railroad. Right-of-way acquisition of the adjacent properties
accounts for approximately 88 percent of the estimated implementation cost.
Cost
The Westheimer Road is estimated to cost $63,000,000. The estimated
public benefit calculated for the Westheimer Road
is $7,000,000, which is approximately 11 percent of the estimated cost of
construction.
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Identified Improvements
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