With no discussion Houston City Council on Dec. 19 amended the city’s Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan to extend Ellington Bypass, a planned road that has been part of the plan since 2003. Ellington Bypass from Space Center Boulevard west to Hwy. 3 has been part of the MTFP for 15 years. The MTFP is a collection of anticipated major road projects throughout the city to let developers and the public know what significant transportation projects could be coming. After Magellan Midstream Partners this summer expressed interest in building 58 oil tanks near the intersection of Clear Lake City Boulevard and Hwy. 3, officials, including District E Council Member Dave Martin, sprung into action to extend the planned Ellington Bypass farther west to link up I-45, which council approved Dec. 19.
The planned road now bisects the formerly proposed oil tank site, which Martin and other officials hope will deter developers who want to bring in developments inconsistent with what the Clear Lake area is trying to achieve, Martin has said. Ellington Bypass’s addition to the plan does not mean the project is imminent or will even happen at all. The bypass was originally added to the plan to service Ellington Airport and the Houston Spaceport.