Bay Area Edition | March 2022

TRANSPORTATIONUPDATES TxDOT plans towiden FM646 in League City

COMPILED BY JAKE MAGEE

UPCOMING PROJECTS

The Texas Department of Trans- portation is considering the next step in a multiphase plan spanning years to widen FM 646. In 2005-06, TxDOT held public meetings to discuss a plan to widen FM 646 from I-45 to Bayshore Boulevard. Part of that project is already done. “The portion between I-45 and Edmund Way—approximately 1.3 miles—has since been constructed,” TxDOT representative Joshua Geyer said during a public virtual meeting in February. TxDOT is considering doing the same thing from Edmund Way to FM 3436. Under the plan, FM 646 would become a four-lane road with two lanes in each direction divided by a 16-foot-wide raised median. This would align with the existing four lanes of FM 646 from I-45 to Edmund Way, Geyer said. Additionally, TxDOT is proposing to create an overpass for trac at the railroad that intersects with FM 646 just east of Hwy. 3. Trac must stop to allow trains to pass, but the overpass would allow both trains and trac to travel without stopping, he said. The proposed overpass would displace nine buildings: one sin- gle-family home, seven commercial facilities and one place of worship. TxDOT would work with the owners of displaced properties, Geyer said. Geyer said widening the road will ease trac congestion. “The improvements are needed because current and projected growth in the area has caused trac

As part of the widening project, Texas Department of Transportation proposes elevating FM 646 where it intersects a railroad just east of Hwy. 3. PROPOSED ROAD DESIGN

HEATHER GROVE LN.

Shoulder

517

Calder Road widening Calder Road will be widened by 8 feet on the east side from FM 517 to 300 feet north of FM 517 to provide two southbound lanes approaching the FM 517 intersection. Timeline: spring 2022-TBD Cost: $288,000 Funding source: League City

Proposed stormwater retention pond

Frontage road

SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

PROJECT LIMITS

demand to increase, and therefore congestion has increased along the corridor,” he said. Additionally, the widening would make the road safer. From 2015 to 2021, there were several crashes along FM 646 between Edmund Way and FM 3436, and a few of them were fatal, Geyer said. “One of the goals of the project is to reduce crashes along the corri- dor,” Geyer said during the meeting. “Crash rates within the project limits are signicantly higher than the statewide average, and ve fatalities have occurred during the six-year study time frame.” The project would total $56 million from state and federal funds. About $34 million would be for the seg- ment from Edmund Way to FM 1266, and another $22 million would be for the segment from FM 1266 to FM 3436, Geyer said. If approved, construction would

E D

3436

EDMUND WAY

646

ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF MARCH 7. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT BAYNEWSCOMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. About 1,800 feet of Turner Street from Hobbs to Butler roads and about 4,300 feet of Butler from Turner to about 400 feet south of Sedona Drive will be reconstructed with concrete curbs and gutters. Timeline: fall 2022-TBD Cost: $7.31 million Funding source: League City Turner Street and Butler Road Phase 2 reconstruction

517

Over 20 years of Dedication. Integrity. Passion. Service. Consistency. Whether you are buying or selling, we look forward to assisting you with every step of the process. begin in late 2022 and take 1 1/2 to two years for the rst segment and another 1 1/2 to two years for the second, Geyer said. According to the TxDOT website, next steps are to nalize environ- mental studies for the project, receive approval for additional envi- ronmental studies, and nalize the design of right of way acquisition.

Kimberly Harding, Broker/Owner 281-554-7653 Kimberly@KimberlyHarding.com

2490 Calder Dr, League City, TX 77573 | www.TheKimberlyHardingGroup.com

BAY AREA EDITION • MARCH 2022