Montrose residents on June 23 packed the auditorium of St. Stephens Episcopal Church on Sul Ross Road to be the first to hear details and give feedback on the newly redesigned West Alabama Street Reconstruction Project.

Project overview

The full roadway reconstruction project includes making several enhancements to the 1.6-mile stretch of road along West Alabama Street from Spur 527 to Shepherd Drive.

According to the presentation, the project aims to improve mobility and drainage while also prioritizing tree preservation and promoting a pedestrian friendly environment.

The project is currently in the preliminary engineering phase, but members of the Montrose Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone shared more details on the future project at the first open house, including project scope, timeline and funding.


The scope of the project includes:
  • Six reconstructed traffic signals and one new one at Hazard Street
  • 6-foot sidewalks on both sides of the street
  • One lane in each direction for cars
  • Left-turn lanes at key cross streets
  • New curb and gutter with concrete pavement
According to the presentation, engineers with the project also intend to protect as many trees as possible while committing to planting new ones where possible. The size of the trees, along with the detailed tree plan and protection plan, will be prepared during the design phase of the project.

The timeline

Montrose TIRZ officials said the project is in the preliminary design phase, with official design set to began in late summer. The design portion is anticipated to last through fall 2026, with construction set to begin in late 2026 and wrap up in late 2028. However, the timeline is subject to change.

Project funding


The Montrose TIRZ portion between Shepherd Drive and Spur 527 is only one third of a larger project in collaboration with the Upper Kirby and Midtown investment zones to stretch enhancements that extend to Buffalo Speedway and Chenevert Street on both sides.

The entire project is expected to cost $28.5 million and will be funded through the three different tax zones.
  • $11 million: Montrose
  • $4 million: Midtown
  • $7 million: Upper Kirby
Public input

Houston residents were able to provide public input on the Montrose TIRZ segment of the project at the June open house by placing sticky notes along a printed out version of the schematic projection.

Several comments asked for engineers to include a shared-use path and/or a protected bike lane. However, project officials said during the presentation that a bike lane would not be feasible to include as the project had to maintain the existing 12-foot car lanes, a decree given by Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s administration in 2024.