TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Issues linger along widened El Dorado Boulevard
COMPILED BY JAKE MAGEE
UPCOMING PROJECTS
On Oct. 6, contractors o cially n- ished widening El Dorado Boulevard between Clear Lake City Boulevard and Horsepen Bayou from two to four 12-foot-wide lanes with a median. However, several months later, issues still linger. After the widening, Harris County and city of Houston o cials dis- covered a section of a large under- ground water drainage pipe failed to meet requirements, meaning it needs to be reworked. The cost is going to be covered by the contrac- tor, Indi, who is coordinating the work with the county and the Clear Lake City Water Authority, Harris County Precinct 2 o cials said. However, according to county o cials, Indi has not committed to doing the work. “This is a contract issue that may become a legal issue that’ll take time as Harris County demands the contrac- tor meet quality requirements for [the] pipe,” according to county documents about the project. In the meantime, a temporary gravel path has been installed above where the work on the pipe is to occur. This path was installed May 15 at residents’ request to provide continuity along the sidewalk, which was torn up pending the pipe work, o cials said. “I sympathize with residents who are frustrated and share their dissat- isfaction,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said in an email to Community Impact . Once the pipe is repaired, a permanent sidewalk will be installed to replace the gravel path. If a pro- longed dispute about the pipe causes
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Turner Street and Butler Road reconstruction, Phase 1
This project, split into two phases, will improve the roadways of Turner Street as well as Butler Road. Phase 1 includes improvements to the in- tersection of Turner and Hobbs Road, improvements to all of Turner, and im- provements to the Butler roundabout and Butler Road from the roundabout
south to Cross Springs Lane. Timeline: construction begins spring 2024
Along El Dorado Boulevard, a gravel path remains where the sidewalk should be until the nearby underground pipe is addressed.
JAKE MAGEE COMMUNITY IMPACT EL DORADO WIDENING El Dorado is four lanes from Clear Lake City Boulevard to Horsepen Bayou.
a delay of several months or more, county contractors could decide in the future to install sidewalk until the issue is resolved. At that point, it would be torn up to rework the pipe and then repaved, Precinct 2 Press Secretary Scott Spiegel said. Other progress O cials have begun planting trees along the corridor to replace those lost during the widening. According to county documents, about 250 trees have been planted so far to replace the 100 lost, resulting in a net gain of 150 trees. Additionally, the city of Houston is coordinating with CenterPoint to install new streetlights in the new southbound direction. Finally, the city is evaluating the possibility of connecting the sidewalk south of the El Dorado bridge to the Bay Forest subdivision as a future project. The El Dorado widening project cost $8.7 million and began in May 2020.
Cost: $6.3 million (including Phase 2) Funding source: city of League City
CROSS SPRING LN.
TEMPE ST.
HORSEPEN BAYOU
HOBBS RD.
S. ERVIN AVE.
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ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF AUG. 7. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT BAYNEWS COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. Cost: $6.3 million (including Phase 1) Funding source: city of League City Turner and Butler reconstruction, Phase 2 The second phase of this project includes improvements to Butler Road from Cross Springs Lane south to Ervin Street. Additionally, 1,800 linear feet of an 8-inch waterline will be installed from Tempe Street to Sedona Drive. Timeline: construction begins after October 2024
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SOURCES: CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT It was originally expected to nish in April 2022. “Dealing with construction delays that create tra c concerns for longer than promised is agoniz- ing,” Garcia said. “However, I will always advocate for getting the job done correctly.”
Kimberly Harding, Broker/Owner 281-554-7653 Kimberly@KimberlyHarding.com 2490 Calder Dr, League City, TX 77573 www.TheKimberlyHardingGroup.com
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BAY AREA EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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