The future of I-45 From the cover
A closer look
Two-minute impact
The Federal Highway Administration opened a civil rights investigation into the project in 2021. In March 2023, TxDOT signed a voluntary reso- lution agreement with the FHWA that allowed the project to proceed, laying out requirements TxDOT must follow, including requirements intended to protect residents from flooding and air pollution, as well as how TxDOT handles the eminent domain process. Critics of the project—including organizers with the advocacy group Stop TxDOT I-45—have expressed concerns about the disproportional effects the project will have on communities of color in its footprint. The VRA has done little to alleviate fears about the project’s harms, said Steph Valdez, an organizer with Stop TxDOT I-45. In addition, information at December public meet- ings lacked specifics on how TxDOT was trying to reduce the project footprint and its environmental impacts, she said. “I thought that was supposed to be the point of these meetings, that we would get more answers,” she said. Stop TxDOT I-45 organizer Erin Eriksen said accessibility was a problem, particularly at the Segment 3 meeting, where she said the room was too small to accommodate crowds. She said she would like to see TxDOT bring more specifics to future meetings and to host more interactive town hall meetings, where attendees can ask questions in a communal forum.
construction will take place on Segment 3 first. Segment 3 will entail straightening I-69 and widening it from eight lanes to 10 or 12 lanes in each direction as well as building a new downtown connector from I-45 to replace the Pierce Elevated, an elevated stretch of I-45 that cuts through the southern part of downtown. Cap structures—bridges built over the highway at certain points that would be accessible to the public and could feature parklike amenities—are being planned at three locations, Mapes said. Most of the elements in the Inner Loop are fully funded, Mapes said, while projects outside of Loop 610 are unfunded. Approximately $5 billion of the project is currently funded, and roughly 80% of the funding comes from federal sources. The project will require the displacement of more than 1,400 homes and businesses, as well as places of worship, schools and medical care facilities. TxDOT has programs in place meant to assist people with the relocation process, and officials said residents will not be displaced until adequate replacement housing has been identified.
TxDOT officials hosted public meetings on the North Houston Highway Improvement Project in December, inviting residents to learn more about its three segments. • Segment 1: a $907 million project along I-45 from Loop 610 to Beltway 8 • Segment 2: a $1.6 billion project along I-45 from I-10 to Loop 610 and parts of Loop 610 • Segment 3: a $5.7 billion project along I-45 from I-10 to I-69, along parts of I-10 and along some downtown roadways The project involves adding four managed lanes on I-45 from Downtown Houston to Beltway 8 North as well as rerouting I-45 to be parallel with I-10 on the north side of downtown and parallel with I-69 on the east side of downtown, according to TxDOT information. Other elements include bicycle and pedestrian features along frontage roads and cross streets, and new trails parallel to bayous. Speaking to members of Houston’s Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee in November, Grady Mapes, director of the TxDOT Houston District Comprehensive Development Agreements program, said
Segment 3 detailed look
Build new downtown connector from I-45 to replace Pierce Elevated Reroute I-45 to be parallel with I-10; straighten I-10 and add two express lanes in each direction Reroute I-45 to be parallel with I-69; straighten and widen I-69
Segment 1
Under the VRA, some requirements TxDOT must fulfill include: Accountability • Meet monthly to discuss commitments in the agreement; host public meetings twice annually Quality of life • Evaluate opportunities to reduce footprint in segments 1 and 2 • Come up with a community access plan during construction to make sure people can still access essential services Environmental • Add drainage to reduce flooding • Mitigate air quality, including the use of an active monitoring station installed at I-69 and Hwy. 288 Connectivity • Build structural highway caps, a kind of bridge built over a highway that can provide opportunities for park space and other amenities
45
69
Segment 2
Cap structure
10
69
225
288
610
SOURCE: TXDOT/ COMMUNITY IMPACT N
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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