Though attention remains on rebuilding Interstate 45 through northern parts of Houston, state highway officials also are planning for the next round of road work.
The Texas Department of Transportation has scheduled two public meetings, starting Tuesday in Conroe, related to I-45 from Beltway 8 to Loop 336 in Conroe. The meetings, part of a preliminary process called planning and environmental linkages, are a chance for residents to see possible plans for rebuilding the freeway and get a first look at what TxDOT is considering as it moves toward project designs.
Though preliminary — for comparison, the paused I-45 project in Houston reached this stage in 2005 — the meetings narrow the options for widening the freeway and considering viable transit options along the corridor, based on resident input.
The presentations planned Tuesday in Conroe and Thursday in Spring also will be online, TxDOT officials said.
Officials said the aim of the upcoming meetings, the third round of public sessions, is “to explore transportation alternatives to address the growing safety, mobility, and connectivity needs along the corridor due to the projected population and employment growth in the greater Houston region.”
None of the possible changes are planned or designed at this time, though TxDOT’s record funding means some high-priority projects are accelerating, even as costs for some projects increase.
Good luck, y’all. I would assume that this will be more warmly received by area residents than the current project has been, but I could be wrong and even if I’m not that doesn’t mean it will be super popular. If TxDOT is more willing to listen and make changes to their original design, you can thank us later.
… just don’t ask the folks at the I-45 work on the far south side. They have made a colossal mess at FM518, that is yet unfinished. I think it is their 2nd or 3rd tear-up-to-rebuild attempt. Not sure why 518 was so much more difficult than every other interchange they worked (even SH96 and FM646 are done now) – but if that’s what the folks up north have to look forward to … condolences are in order.
Immediately after World War II Europe and Japan were in ruins and we started building the Gulf Freeway – which still isn’t finished.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/2022/visuals/houston-gulf-freeway-70-years/