Known as the North Houston Highway Improvement Project, the project aims to expand and reroute portions of I-45 between Beltway 8 and downtown Houston. However, the $7.9 billion project is on pause amid an ongoing Federal Highway Administration investigation into civil rights complaints related to the project.
At the NHA luncheon, Ryan said the FHA was open to a “voluntary resolution agreement.” The agreement would allow some design modifications, but the project’s purpose would not change. Ryan did not clarify which design aspects would be modified.
Additionally, advocacy groups filed a Dec. 16 Civil Rights Act complaint against the project, alleging intentional racial discrimination and that TxDOT violated procedures in moving forward with the project. Ryan did not comment on the Dec. 16 suit.
The I-45 project has the potential to affect Bay Area residents. According to Gulf Coast Workforce Board of Workforce Solutions data from February 2020, 87% of League City’s employed residents work outside the city. Of those, about 65%—about 26,000 residents—commute to the north and northwest to destinations such as downtown Houston.
Local project update
League City finished reconstructing the southern portion of Calder Road between Ervin Avenue and Cross Colony Drive in December. The project widened the road from two to three lanes with a center turn lane, installed water and sewer lines, repaved the existing road and added a sidewalk on the east side of Calder. League City completed a $10.28 million project in June 2018 that widened Calder between League City Parkway and Ervin.
Timeline: February 2020-December 2021
Cost: $7.7 million
<
Funding source: League City 2019 bond
