North Houston Highway Improvement Project

[The Ghostbuster]

I'm starting to wonder if the North Houston Highway Improvement Project will ever be built. Or will TXDOT have to go back to the drawing board if the locals kill this project?

[Plutonic Panda]

I'm starting to wonder if the North Houston Highway Improvement Project will ever be built. Or will TXDOT have to go back to the drawing board if the locals kill this project?

Well it looks like it is moving forward, no? Is there a new timeline for construction?

[MaxConcrete]

I'm starting to wonder if the North Houston Highway Improvement Project will ever be built. Or will TXDOT have to go back to the drawing board if the locals kill this project?

Well it looks like it is moving forward, no? Is there a new timeline for construction?

We can't make any statements about the future of NHHIP until we get a decision from FHWA.

TxDOT is keeping the allocated funding in place so construction (of the funded sections) can proceed if FHWA authorizes the project to proceed. But TxDOT's keeping funding in the UTP does not mean it will proceed to construction.

If FHWA rules against the project, then anything can happen. Of course it depends on the details of FHWA's findings. The outcome could range anywhere from minimal changes to indefinite suspension to complete cancellation.

To answer Plutonic Panda's question: The latest information from TxDOT is in the May 2022 update below. Most likely the earliest possible start of any work has been further delayed another year to 2025 due to no response from FHWA.
https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot/commission/2022/0526/7c.pdf

I'm thinking that the FHWA decision about the project is going to be made by Pete Buttigieg. Since he surely has future political ambitions, there is a good chance his decision will seek to maximize endearment from the progressive wing of the Democratic party (which is now most of the Democratic party).

[Bobby5280]

I think TX DOT should re-direct the funding for that downtown Houston project elsewhere in the state. They only have numerous I-69 related projects to build (I-69, I-69E, I-69C, I-69W and I-369). Then I-2 is kind of related to the I-69 effort. I-27 and the Ports to Plains Corridor has just as much history. On top of that there's I-14. The Dallas-Fort Worth metro has plenty of super highway projects in need of build-out. The same goes for the San Antonio-Austin region. The El Paso metro has needs. US-287 between Amarillo and Fort Worth needs heavy improvement. It goes on and on.

But I guess the ultimate idea of cancelling that downtown Houston highway project is so all the funding can be hijacked to build bicycle paths and extremely over-priced subway lines.

[MaxConcrete]

The Houston Business Journal is reporting that demolition of the Lofts at the Ballpark has resumed.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2022/09/08/txdot-lofts-at-the-ballpark-demolition-i45-project.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_27&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s

The Texas Department of Transportation has resumed the demolition of the three-building Lofts at the Ballpark apartment complex, despite the pause previously issued on the Interstate 45 expansion project.

"Delaying demolition presents significant public health and safety concerns and would require resources to keep the buildings secured,"  TxDOT said in a Sept. 8 statement to the Houston Business Journal. "Demolition of the initial building is underway, and a timeline for the additional buildings is to be determined."

Demolishing the apartment project will make way for the expansion of I-45, part of the massive North Houston Highway Improvement Project</a>. The NHHIP has been met with opposition from many people in the Houston area due to a claim that the project will disproportionately affect minority communities. The Federal Highway Administration put a pause on the project to investigate the claim.

The apartment demolition process had been halted in June, when Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Houston's permitting office put an administrative hold on the project. The hold was issued so the FHWA could determine whether or not the apartment complex was an early acquisition in the project, meaning it was purchased prior to the federal pause. As an early acquisition, demolition is allowed to continue.

"TxDOT has indicated it will not be seeking any further permits," Turner's June statement said. "State and federal properties are exempt from local building codes and do not require demolition permits. Assuming no objection by FHWA, and no demolition permit being requested by TxDOT, the city has no legal basis to stop the demolition."

The demolition of the property does not conflict with the FHWA's terms regarding the NHHIP pause, TxDOT said in its Sept. 8 statement to the HBJ. In an email from the mayor's office, city of Houston Attorney Arturo Michel said the Texas attorney general has said that the state of Texas is exempt from complying with building code ordinances for property that it owns or controls.

[MaxConcrete]

Pro-project editorial from the Greater Houston Partnership, which is the most influential business organization in the region. The GHP was silent for a long time but they have finally started public advocacy, which could be helpful to get the project moving.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Opinion-Let-s-move-forward-on-I-45-TxDOT-17430928.php

[kernals12]

Buttigieg visited Houston. Sounds like he has an open mind about the project
https://www.masstransitmag.com/management/news/21280652/tx-buttigieg-touts-federal-funding-during-tour-of-houston-transportation-projects

Stop I-45 activists got snubbed.

[MaxConcrete]

Good news! Demolition of the Lofts at the Ballpark is in progress.

http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20220917_NHHIP_005-1600.jpg

[kernals12]

Good news! Demolition of the Lofts at the Ballpark is in progress.

http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20220917_NHHIP_005-1600.jpg

May every 5 over 1 apartment complex meet the same fate.

[Scott5114]

Sort of strange that it looks like nobody went through to salvage all of the cabinets, etc. from inside the building before demo began. You'd think the apartment company would have wanted to reuse them somewhere.

[Plutonic Panda]

Somewhat of an update: https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2022/09/20/central-houston-txdot-nhhip-cap-park

[kernals12]

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/transportation/2022/09/21/433518/could-central-houstons-proposed-downtown-amenities-make-the-i-45-project-more-palatable/amp/

Stop I-45's dishonesty or ignorance is showing here. They claim Central Houston's vision could be implemented without the project, except:

I-69 would remain Elevated, so no deck park.
Pierce Elevated would remain a freeway, so no "high line" style project


They also claim the project would not address "our reliance on single occupancy vehicles", except the additional lanes will be reserved for carpools and buses.

It's pretty clear Stop I-45 is a fringe group trying to push an extremist anti-car agenda and is using the people who will be displaced as pawns.

[MaxConcrete]

The Clayton Homes housing project on Runnels Street is fully vacated and fenced. Relocating all the residents of the 184 units is a big step, since they (presumably) all needed subsidized housing.

There is no evidence of demolition about to start. But as the photo shows, the fence has been breached. There is an abundance of homeless people in the area who would probably like to seize control of the property, so I think TxDOT will need to proceed with demolition promptly.

http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20221113-NHHIP_010_1600.jpg


http://dallasfreeways.com/dfwfreeways/AARoads/20221113-NHHIP_007-1600.jpg

[Bobby5280]

Yeah, those vacated apartment buildings look like they could up in flames pretty well from homeless squatters starting camp fires inside of them to stay warm.

[Plutonic Panda]

More ridiculous tactics to thwart this plan:

Community petition to designate White Oak Bayou as park could thwart I-45 expansion in Houston

A petition was started in November and over 1,900 signatures are already in support of the designation, with a total goal of 3,200 signatures.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/transportation/2022/12/05/438696/community-petition-to-designate-white-oak-bayou-as-park-could-thwart-i-45-expansion-in-houston/?fbclid=IwAR1wp6CtvwuEJdrAMu_--PDnG4nEQ_Q_wAiHfVhAPLabuTCg_Kz_Uu9RDro

[kernals12]

The City of Houston and TxDOT have reached a memorandum of understanding to mitigate the impact of the project.

https://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/2022/nhhip-mou.pdf

[MaxConcrete]

The City of Houston and TxDOT have reached a memorandum of understanding to mitigate the impact of the project.

https://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/2022/nhhip-mou.pdf

Also

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/I45-expansion-project-back-on-17663766.php

This looks like mostly good news. My main point of concern is the provision "Reducing the NHHIP Footprint". Any reduction will require lane removal, or compromising standards (such as ramp radius).

[kernals12]

The City of Houston and TxDOT have reached a memorandum of understanding to mitigate the impact of the project.

https://www.houstontx.gov/mayor/press/2022/nhhip-mou.pdf

Also

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/I45-expansion-project-back-on-17663766.php

This looks like mostly good news. My main point of concern is the provision "Reducing the NHHIP Footprint". Any reduction will require lane removal, or compromising standards (such as ramp radius).

Any freeway that's built in a dense urban area not on existing ROW is going to have to make some compromises.

[MaxConcrete]

NHHIP was discussed at today's commission meeting. https://www.txdot.gov/about/leadership/texas-transportation-commission/meeting-dates-agendas.html

The TxDOT manager handling the federal investigation says that FHWA has finished its investigation and the recommended agreement has been submitted to the office of the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg.

Now it's up to Buttigieg. The question is, will he accept the agreement as-is, or seek modifications to curry favor with anti-highway interests?

[TheBox]

Kinda off-topic, but is it just me or is North Fwy (I-45) inside the SHT/Beltway 8 is showing it's age compared to Katy Freeway (I-10), Northwest Freeway (US-290), and even both Southwest and Eastex Freeways (US-59/I-69)?
Especially for a major freeway that connects 2 big cities in Texas

the newly rebuilt Katy and Northwest freeways may be an unfair comparison yes (and were on the same level before they were both rebuilt the past two decades, if not worse), but even Southwest and Eastex Freeways ages much better than North Freeway does when neither of those tw US-59/I-69 freeways connect to any city that's on the level of Dallas, San Antonio, nor Austin (the RGV, Corpus Christi, Longview-Marshall look like small towns in comparison)

Just compare North Fwy to the Northline Commons and you'll see my point

EDIT: not to mention, kinda thin in comparison

[J N Winkler]

Kinda off-topic, but is it just me or is North Fwy (I-45) inside the SHT/Beltway 8 is showing it's age compared to Katy Freeway (I-10), Northwest Freeway (US-290), and even both Southwest and Eastex Freeways (US-59/I-69)?  Especially for a major freeway that connects 2 big cities in Texas.

The newly rebuilt Katy and Northwest freeways may be an unfair comparison yes (and were on the same level before they were both rebuilt the past two decades, if not worse), but even Southwest and Eastex Freeways ages much better than North Freeway does when neither of those two US-59/I-69 freeways connect to any city that's on the level of Dallas, San Antonio, nor Austin (the RGV, Corpus Christi, Longview-Marshall look like small towns in comparison)

The part of the Southwest Freeway just west of downtown was extensively rebuilt in the early 2000's.  I have a copy of the construction plans set, which runs to over 2000 sheets; the project was advertised soon after TxDOT started putting plans online.  The NBI shows bridges on the Eastex Freeway with reconstruction dates in the 1990's.

In contradistinction, while bridges on the North Freeway do also show reconstruction dates in the 1990's, the geometric design has been updated far less extensively.  The mainlanes do not have continuous left shoulders, unlike the nearby Eastex, and the I-45/I-610 interchange is still in its 1960's configuration with left exits (the NHHIP proposes to replace it with a true Maltese cross stack).

[Anthony_JK]

I'd say that even the North Freeway doesn't compare to the East and Baytown East freeways when it comes to age....especially that ancient interchange with Spur 330/Crosby-Lynchburg Road where there is no direct access from I-10 eastbound to south Spur 330/Decker Drive and vice versa. That segment could use some real modernization as well, especially with ultimate construction of the NE quadrant of the Grand Parkway and the Ship Channel bridge on I-610.

[Thegeet]

Kinda off-topic, but is it just me or is North Fwy (I-45) inside the SHT/Beltway 8 is showing it's age compared to Katy Freeway (I-10), Northwest Freeway (US-290), and even both Southwest and Eastex Freeways (US-59/I-69)?
Especially for a major freeway that connects 2 big cities in Texas

the newly rebuilt Katy and Northwest freeways may be an unfair comparison yes (and were on the same level before they were both rebuilt the past two decades, if not worse), but even Southwest and Eastex Freeways ages much better than North Freeway does when neither of those tw US-59/I-69 freeways connect to any city that's on the level of Dallas, San Antonio, nor Austin (the RGV, Corpus Christi, Longview-Marshall look like small towns in comparison)

Just compare North Fwy to the Northline Commons and you'll see my point

EDIT: not to mention, kinda thin in comparison

Yeah, I agree. Apart from that, some of the bridges look extremely gross. Yuck.

[bwana39]

I'd say that even the North Freeway doesn't compare to the East and Baytown East freeways when it comes to age....especially that ancient interchange with Spur 330/Crosby-Lynchburg Road where there is no direct access from I-10 eastbound to south Spur 330/Decker Drive and vice versa. That segment could use some real modernization as well, especially with ultimate construction of the NE quadrant of the Grand Parkway and the Ship Channel bridge on I-610.

There is an example much like this in D-FW. Eastbound SH-183 has no direct access to NB I-35E.
SS-557 ("To US-80") outside of Terrell neither I-20 nor SS-557 EB has direct access to the WB lanes of the other.

Generally when traffic rarely if ever transitions in what amounts to a U-turn situation. TxDOT generally lets a non-freeway connection do the job.

[TXtoNJ]

Project is a go again:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/i-45-rebuild-txdot-houston-pause-lifted-17822603.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral