A virtual public meeting and in-person meeting were held May 24 and 26, respectively, to present TxDOT's widening project to the public and receive feedback. The public can leave written comments, and questions which must be received on or before June 13 to be a part of the official meeting record. TxDOT will review comments, prepare documentation of the public meeting and post them to the public meeting page about three months after the close of the comment period, according to the May 24 presentation.
The proposed widening would span approximately 2.5 miles and widen the road from two to four lanes from Old Montgomery Road to Hwy. 75, add a 10-foot wide shared-use path along the north side of the roadway and add 5-foot wide sidewalks on the south side, according to the presentation.
Breaking down the segments
The first segment of the project—from Old Montgomery Road to west of Panorama Village—would require 30 feet of additional right of way to accommodate proposed improvements such as drainage and road widening, according to the presentation.
There are two alternatives for this segment of the project, with Alternative A entailing 15 feet of additional right of way along each side of the existing FM 830 roadway. Alternative B includes 30 feet of additional right of way along the south side of the existing FM 830 roadway as well as 15 feet of right of way on the north side of FM 830 to accommodate a right-turn bay for westbound traffic.
The segment of the project in Panorama Village city limits entails improvements being constructed within the 120 feet of existing right of way, according to the presentation. The segment at the FM 830 and I-45 interchange was already widened from two to four lanes in 2013, so the proposed project would tie FM 830 into the existing improvements over I-45.
The final segment from I-45 to Hwy. 75 entails 8-16 feet of additional right of way along the south side of the existing FM 830 right of way, according to the presentation. No residential or commercial structures are expected to be displaced by the right of way acquisition in any of the segments.
Cost and timeline
The project will cost approximately $22 million, which will come from a combination of federal and state funds, although the project is not currently funded yet, according to the presentation. The start of construction is subject to availability of funding but is estimated to take about three years to complete.
The prerecorded online presentation is available in English and Spanish at www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/get-involved/about/hearings-meetings/houston/052422.html. Comment cards can also be found here and emailed to [email protected].
