The background
Houston was first selected to receive the $28.7 million grant for the project in 2023 from the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of a $73 million initiative to increase roadway safety and prevent fatal accidents. Now, as the project sits in the design phase, City Council must approve and authorize the grant agreement to begin doling out funds for future construction.
The total cost of the rehabilitation is $35.9 million. Houston will provide a $7 million local match with the grant funding for the project.
About the project
The project is a 7-mile rehabilitation of Bissonnet Street from South Dairy Ashford Road to Hillcroft Avenue and includes improving safety for all street users through enhancements to crosswalks, lighting, bike lanes and dedicated turn lanes, according to the agenda item.
The corridor was selected for improvements due to its status as one of the most dangerous corridors listed in the High Injury Network, with the Engage Houston website stating that the street has the highest number of fatal crashes and the second-highest number of serious injury crashes among all city-owned streets.
According to background data on the project from 2018 to 2022, the street's crash history includes:
- 3,012 crashes (over 1,000 speed related)
- 68 killed and serious injury crashes
- 9 fatal crashes
Stay tuned
The agenda item to approve the grant for the project appeared on the Nov. 18 agenda after a roughly two-year waiting period. However, council member Abbie Kamin, District C, tagged the item, which will now be reviewed and voted on at the Dec. 3 meeting.
Construction for the project is slated to start in spring 2027 and be completed around fall 2028, according to the Engage Houston website.
