Tag Archives: construction

Harris County to consider floodplain regulations change

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea to me. Nearly three months after Hurricane Harvey, Harris County is proposing using 500-year floodplains instead of 100-year floodplains for new development, the first significant overhaul of county elevation requirements in nearly two decades. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Abandon hope, all ye who drive here

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just stay away. Far, far away. Houston’s worst chokepoint is about to be a construction zone for the next five or six years, in the hopes that drivers eventually reap the rewards. Federal, state and local lawmakers gathered Monday on … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Buffalo Bayou Brewing to build new facility

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We remain in a craft beer renaissance. Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co., which launched nearly six years ago with a beer called 1836 honoring the date of Houston’s founding, is preparing to break ground on a $14 million brewery and restaurant … Continue reading →

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We will never stop widening our highways

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Eventually, everything will be used for extra highway capacity. For people in western Harris and Fort Bend counties, now is the time to sit down with your toddler and ask what kind of Interstate 10 they’d like to have. Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

People who oppose the Uptown Line continue to oppose the Uptown Line

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Film at 11. A plan for faster bus service along Post Oak, the centerpiece of a larger project to remake Uptown’s Main Street, continues to divide its supporters and transit skeptics, even as work accelerates and commuters brace for limited … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Acre

Posted on October 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet downtown’s newest park. As park spaces go, Houston’s newest urban oasis is a mere postage stamp, occupying just over an acre of privately held land, developed with private money. But in post-Harvey Houston, the value of every inch of … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Sports Authority at 20

Posted on September 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A few stadia, a little mission creep. Where has the time gone? As the Harris County Houston Sports Authority celebrated its 20th anniversary Monday night with a reception for current and former directors and board members, it moves into its … Continue reading →

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Who will rebuild Houston?

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Vox points out what should be obvious. Unauthorized immigrants were crucial to rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. And they are likely to be desperately needed as Texas rebuilds to clean streets, demolish buildings, and reconstruct homes and offices. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Remember the Katy Prairie

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the four things we could have done differently to maybe mitigate some of the worst effects of Harvey: Preserve and restore as much prairie land as possible Much of northwest Houston used to be covered in prairie land, where … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The process for I-45

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This time it’s different, more or less. The region’s largest looming highway project – a massive rebuild of Interstate 45 from the Sam Houston Tollway to downtown Houston – has a lot of people looking into the rear-view mirror, pressing … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Try to wrap your mind around what I-45 will look like post-construction

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Swamplot is here to help. HAVING TROUBLE SIFTING through some of the massive freeway jumbles in the latest plans for that major I-45 reroute between Downtown and the Beltway? This new video (making the rounds this month as TxDOT hosts a set of public meetings … Continue reading →

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TxDOT public hearings on I-45 widening scheduled for May 9th & May 11th

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, from Jim Weston of the I-45 Coalition: The I-45 Project – Planning Stage is coming to an end!  This next meeting is a HEARING –  much different from the public meetings that TxDOT has been holding. This … Continue reading →

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Complete Communities

Posted on April 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Turner makes an announcement about a new program for revitalizing some core neighborhoods. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to focus Houston’s community development efforts on five low-income neighborhoods as part of his Complete Communities initiative announced Monday. The program comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Get ready for lots of road construction

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Because a lot of money is fixing to be spent on it. A sweeping revision of state highway plans adds nearly $9 billion in new funds for improving Texas roadways, including a $1.32 billion infusion in the Houston area for … Continue reading →

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Metro still fixing rail car issues

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Someday this will all be over. Houston’s light rail system is fully open, but closing out a complicated rail car purchase that nearly derailed the new lines remains a challenge for transit officials. Metropolitan Transit Authority officials continue withholding $12.9 … Continue reading →

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Major League Rugby in Houston

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the Houston Strikers. A group of rugby supporters are kicking around plans to build a rugby stadium in the area. The ownership group behind the new Major League Rugby franchise the Houston Strikers is finalizing plans to develop a … Continue reading →

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Get ready for more I-45 chaos

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Lord have mercy on our souls. Relieving one of Houston’s worst bottlenecks will come with some lengthy complications for northbound drivers on Interstate 45 headed into Houston’s central business district, starting Friday night. After years of delay, work is starting … Continue reading →

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“Texas lives on immigrant labor”

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t that the truth. In Texas, an estimated 400,000 construction workers reside illegally, according to one study. If they were forced to leave the country, contractors say, state construction companies would face a difficult fallout, including higher labor costs, construction … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

TxDOT accelerates I-45 construction timeline

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Gird your loins. For many long-suffering Houston drivers, a solution to the infuriating bottleneck on Interstate 45 through downtown is likely something they thought they wouldn’t live to see. More than a decade ago, a plan pitched to solve the … Continue reading →

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We don’t need another vote on the Astrodome

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not for this we don’t, anyway. Less than five months ago, the future of the Astrodome seemed to be more secure than it has been in the decades since it hosted its last Astros game, with Harris County commissioners moving … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Yale Street Bridge reopens

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Woo hoo! Heights area residents woke up Tuesday to a bright sunny day in more ways than one, finding that crews had opened the new Yale Bridge spanning White Oak Bayou. The opening late Monday is roughly 10 months ahead … Continue reading →

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Here comes the fully extended Green Line

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. Oh what a rocky ride it’s been. Political opposition. A Buy America violation. Construction delays. Contaminated soil that sank an underpass. Overweight and badly-manufactured railcars. More construction delays. When trains finally start rolling along the new Green Line into … Continue reading →

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More MUD muddles

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Who needs collateral? When Houston businessman David Lucyk decided to develop land in northeast Harris County, he lined up a bank loan to pay for water pipes, sewers, roads and a stormwater detention pond. He offered the bank three items … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Yale Street bridge reopening sooner than expected

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray! Christmas 2017 is coming very early for Heights area commuters, now that transportation officials have confirmed that the new Yale Street bridge will open in early February – roughly 10 months ahead of the previous schedule. “They’re working fast,” … Continue reading →

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More bayou bike trails

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Laying out the particulars for a new trail section along White Oak Bayou, Chip Place saw something out of place where the trail crossed the Heights Hike and Bike Trail near T C Jester. It was the stairs connecting … Continue reading →

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Does it matter why infrastructure was improved?

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I say no, but maybe that’s just me. In the days leading up to the nation’s biggest sporting event, thousands of visitors will use Broadway to travel from the airport to downtown hotels and other spots. Work on gravel paths, … Continue reading →

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The Reliant Stadium area is ready for its closeup

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For the Super Bowl, of course. Gotta look pretty, you know. Currently, the area surrounding NRG Park, which includes NRG Stadium and the Astrodome, is “functional” but hardly an impression-maker for a throng of out-of-town guests, said Ed Wulfe, chairman … Continue reading →

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The Astrodome parking proposal is about to get real

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. Harris County commissioners are poised to make their largest investment yet in the Astrodome’s future next week. They are slated to vote on the first piece of a $105 million plan to raise the ground level two … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Abbott says something about high speed rail

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Something vague, and a bit confusing. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday expressed caution about high-speed rail in Texas, warning that any investment in transportation must not be a “money-losing proposition.” It was one of several notable topics that came up … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Harris County to fix some Houston roads

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news from the inbox: As part of an agreement approved by Houston City Council today, Harris County Precinct 1 will pay for additional street improvements worth millions of dollars within the Houston city limits by year’s end. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Harrisburg overpass nearing completion

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. Six months ago, Harrisburg Boulevard looked almost exactly as it has for more than five years, dotted by construction equipment. East of downtown Houston, the thoroughfare was more exposed dirt than street, and showed little sign of the rail … Continue reading →

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Looking again for a new justice complex

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Got to do something about this sooner or later. Mayor Sylvester Turner has formed a committee to study how to acquire a new police headquarters and courts complex for Houston. Former mayor Annise Parker spent more than two years studying … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harrisburg overpass update

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Progress. Right now the East End light rail line stops a few blocks short of the Magnolia Transit Center on Harrisburg. Metro was going to build an underpass at the Hughes Street railroad crossing, but cancelled those plans because of worries … Continue reading →

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I-45 onramp closures coming

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Texas Department of Transportation will close the Houston Avenue southbound and Allen Parkway eastbound entrance ramps to I-45 southbound on Friday, July 8 to begin construction on new ramps that will improve traffic flow and enhance … Continue reading →

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