The Texas Department of Transportation will host a public meeting Jan. 17 to present information and answer questions about a proposed highway elevation project on I-10 near the Heights.

The overview

TxDOT officials are proposing raising I-10 main lanes above the White Oak Bayou flood plain along a 1.8-mile stretch between Heights Boulevard and I-45. The project is intended to mitigate flood risks on the highway at an area that has repeatedly flooded in the past, according to TxDOT.

Other project elements include:
  • Building a 26-acre detention pond beneath the elevated main lanes between Studemont Street and Houston Avenue
  • Building a 10-foot-wide shared-use path on the north side of I-10 along White Oak Bayou between Studemont Street and I-45 with a connection to the south side of I-10 at Sabine Street
The backstory

The Jan. 17 public meeting will be the second hosted by TxDOT on the project. At a meeting in July 2022, attendees expressed concerns about increased noise after lanes are elevated and the project's potential to disturb wildlife along nearby green spaces. A group called Save White Oak Bayou formed to oppose rerouting I-10 over green space along the bayou, a change being pitched in TxDOT's North Houston Highway Improvement Project.


What else

TxDOT would need to acquire 1.2 acres of new right of way for the project, but no residential or nonresidential structures are expected to be in the footprint. The project only involves elevating the lanes and does not involve changing the number of lanes.

The details

The open house meeting will take place from 5-7 p.m. Jan. 17 at TxDOT's Houston District Office, 7600 Washington Ave., Houston. Attendees will be able to view a prerecorded video presentation, look over hard copies of project materials, ask questions and submit comments, according to the project webpage.


TxDOT officials will also make the same video presentation available online starting at 5 p.m. Jan. 16 on the same project webpage.

Get involved

Comments can be submitted before Feb. 1 by email to [email protected] or by mail to the TxDOT Houston District Office at the following address: Attn: Advanced Project Development Director, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, Texas 77251-1386. Individuals can also call 713-802-5199 between 7 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays to ask questions or access information on the project.