HOUSTON — The City of Houston said it's ready to move forward with the North Houston Highway Improvement Project after it was stalled last year due to a lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed by Harris County, demanded the Texas Department of Transportation take residents and the environment into consideration as part of expansion plans for I-45. At the time the lawsuit was filed, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said construction from the project was creating more traffic and flooding problems, which are two things the project is aiming to prevent.
But after much deliberation, the county and city have reached an agreement with TxDOT on the development of this project which will reconstruct I-45 North between downtown and the Beltway.
Some of the terms of the agreement are:
- TxDOT will make an effort to assist affected individuals and minimize disruption to businesses and communities. TxDOT will also make all efforts to relocate displaced individuals to comparable housing within their communities.
- TxDOT will work closely with the City of Houston and Harris County Flood Control District to identify drainage improvements that will reduce water elevations within the bayous.
- TxDOT will work with METRO to find a mutually acceptable solution to address short-and-long term impacts to existing transit facilities in Segment 3 at Wheeler Transit Center and address the replacement of the existing Downtown Connector Ramp.
- TxDOT will analyze traffic operations and impacts on relevant city streets based on the North Houston Highway Improvement Project-generate changes and continue to discuss mitigation measures for impacts on relevant city streets.
- TxDOT will coordinate with the city and neighboring community groups to identify secondary open public space uses around detention areas and identify additional trail routes while preserving the primary drainage function of the detention areas.
“The City of Houston has spoken as a voice for our residents, and I will continue to support the project as long as my goals of resilience, multimodal transportation and equity are met,” Turner said.
The project will include modern updates to the highway while improving drainage and flooding. The improvements will also help better commute to places.
Project leaders said those who live in the construction zone of the I-45 expansion project will be relocated within two miles of where they live now, Some residents have already been moved.
The project, which will cost the city an estimated $9 billion, is expected to last 10 years.