Meeting - North Houston Highway Improvement Project
When:
Open House: 6 p.m.
Presentation: 7 p.m.
Purpose:
TxDOT will conduct an additional meeting to present the proposed North Houston Highway Improvement Project improvements to create additional roadway capacity to manage congestion, enhance safety, and improve mobility and operational efficiency on I-45 from US 59/I-69 to Beltway 8 North, including improvements along US 59/I-69 between I-45 and Spur 527 in Harris County, Texas. This notice also advises the public that a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is available for public review. The first part of the meeting will be an open house format so citizens may come and go at their convenience, followed by a formal presentation and comment period.
Description:
- Adding four managed express lanes (also known as MaX lanes) on I-45 from Beltway 8 North to downtown Houston
- Reconstructing mainlanes and frontage roads
- Rerouting of I-45 in the downtown area to be coincident with I-10 on the north side of downtown and coincident with US 59/I-69 on the east side of downtown
- Removal of the existing elevated I-45 roadway along the west and south sides of downtown
- Adding access to the west side of downtown via “Downtown Connectors” that would allow access to and from various downtown streets
- Realigning both I-10 and US 59/I-69 within the proposed project area to eliminate the current roadway curvature
- Adding four I-10 express lanes between I-45 and US 59/I-69
The right of way (ROW) of the existing roadways in the project area varies in width from 205 to 420 feet. In portions of the project area, no new ROW is required. In some areas of the project, new ROW would be up to 225 feet wide. The proposed project is anticipated to displace approximately 168 single-family residences, 1,067 multi-family residences, 331 businesses, four places of worship, and two schools.
The project crosses four bayous and encroaches on the floodplains of these bayous. Based on a preliminary assessment, less than one acre of wetlands and approximately 28 acres of other waters of the U.S. are within the project ROW. It is anticipated that most waters of the U.S. would be bridged or culverted.
Please note: This meeting has been scheduled in addition to the May 9 and May 11, 2017, public hearings. All meetings will be conducted in English with simultaneous Spanish translation. The comment period has been extended to Thursday, July 27, 2017, and comments must be postmarked or emailed by that date to be part of the official record.
Special accommodations: If you have a disability and need assistance, special arrangements can be made to accommodate most needs. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this meeting, please call the public information officer at (713) 802-5076 at least five working days prior to the meeting. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate these needs.
The environmental review, consultation and other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by TxDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated Dec. 16, 2014, and executed by FHWA and TxDOT.
Downloads:
Contact:
TxDOT Houston District
Public Information Office
Phone: (713) 802-5076
Email
Posted: May 9, 2017