I-45 from the Galveston Causeway Bridge to 61st Street
The TxDOT Houston District is proposing to reconstruct and widen I-45 South from south of the causeway bridge to 61st Street on Galveston Island. The project purpose and need is to reduce roadway flooding, improve mobility and congestion and improve hurricane evacuation.
Current conditions
I-45 is a divided highway with frontage roads extending from the Galveston Causeway Bridge to 61st Street on Galveston Island. The existing roadway includes six 12-foot wide main-lanes (three in each direction) with 10-foot wide outside shoulders and 3.5-foot inside shoulders. The frontage roads include four 12-foot travel lanes (two in each direction).
Proposed improvements
The proposed improvements include:
- Eight main lanes (four in each direction)
- Four frontage lanes (two in each direction)
- A five-foot bike path and five-foot sidewalk
- U-turn and turning lanes at Harborside Drive, 71st Street and 61st Street
- A one-lane direct connector from northbound 61st Street onto northbound IH 45
The proposed improvements would require approximately 2.8 acres of additional right of way.
The proposed project would potentially displace three commercial structures. No residential displacements are anticipated.
Next steps
- Public Meeting – Aug. 11, 2020
- Public Hearing - March 4, 2021
- Environmental Decision - Summer 2021
- Begin Right-of-Way Acquisition - Fall 2021
- Complete Final Design - 2022
- Construction to Begin - 2023