Project pains From the cover
What they’re saying
The gist
Project features: • Raised median • Sidewalks north and southbound along project length
K I N G S L A N To drum up business, Guo is pushing delivery and distributing his menu through post office mailings to local residents. Guo said he hopes the project’s completion will improve business by increasing traffic and visibility. Cheba Hut Manager Chris Bierly said his team has also brainstormed ideas to improve visibility for the franchise location, which opened in “[The neighborhood said they’re] going to keep supporting us through work on 1463. … They really do understand the traffic and the construction really hurt my business.” DAVID GUO, OWNER OF MU LAN JOJO’S CHINA BISTRO November 2023 on FM 1463. Options have either ended up too pricey or violate city regulations, such as promotional flags along the roadway. Perez said business owners can email TxDOT at hou-pio.webmail@txdot.gov with any concerns. Owner David Guo opened Mu Lan JoJo’s China Bistro in January after almost two decades oper- ating the family-owned eatery in East Texas and Louisiana. It’s been a slow start, he said, which he attributes to patrons avoiding FM 1463.
Progress on a five-year, $108.36 million project to expand FM 1463 between Katy and Fulshear is causing some community frustration, business owners and officials said. The Texas Department of Transportation is widening almost 7 miles of the two-lane road to up to six lanes in some areas between I-10 and FM 1093, TxDOT Public Information Officer Danny Perez said. Work began in February 2022 and is set to finish in the second quarter of 2027; substantial completion is estimated for the fourth quarter of 2026. With two years left, some area business owners told Community Impact they’re worried about reduced visibility and access to businesses. TxDOT has also received complaints about slow construction, delays and traffic. TxDOT officials said the project did face right- of-way and utility delays, but both issues have been resolved. Contractors are moving along in phases and making progress, Perez said. “It’s a major project, and so we do understand the concerns of the public. But keeping the project moving is really important, and we’re going to get to a good place,” Perez said. TxDOT officials claim the project was always planned to last five years, but inconsistent completion dates published on TxDOT’s Project Tracker website and in public forums may have raised the public’s concerns, Perez said. Community Impact was unable to verify the project’s initial timeline, as TxDOT officials didn’t provide requested documentation by press time. Despite not funding the project, Fulshear partnered with TxDOT to launch a dedicated webpage in late April to provide project updates, Fulshear Communications Coordinator Mariah Gallegos said.
90
CANE ISLAND PKWY.
10
Six lanes from I-10 to Spring Green Boulevard
KINGSLAND BLVD.
Four lanes from Spring Green Boulevard to FM 1093
Katy
1463
FULSHEAR BEND DR.
CINCO RANCH BLVD.
CROSS CREEK BEND LN.
R D .
“There may not be a whole lot we can do, but still bring it to our attention. Then we can look at it together and see if there’s something we can address.” DANNY PEREZ, TXDOT PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
1093
N
SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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