TxDOT officials updated community members about the proposed route for the Hwy. 36 Alternative route and other local roadway projects at a March 21 Katy Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
What residents need to know
The Hwy. 36A route aims to provide a road for large trucks to travel from Port Freeport to reach major highways and distribute freight in North Texas, Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers said. The route is broken into two segments with one being from I-10 to Hwy. 6 just north of Hempstead and the second connecting I-10 to the existing Hwy. 36 just south of Needville and Rosenberg.
TxDOT launched a $2 million environmental study of the area in 2017, although delays called for a restart of the study in April 2023, Community Impact reported.
Digging in
Initiated by Meyers and engineer Richard Fields, the Highway 36A Coalition was created to advocate for a north-south thoroughfare in the Katy and Fulshear areas of the county, Meyers said. At the time, TxDOT officials said they probably wouldn’t need the road until at least 2035 due to lack of traffic in the area, Meyers said.
“As the Port [Freeport] continues to expand and more cargo comes in, ... those trucks have to go someplace—and they’re not going to choose to go to downtown Houston,” Meyers said. “They’re going to choose to come up the farm to market roads, ... essentially competing with moms taking their kids to school, and that’s what we’re trying to avoid with this proposal.”
Since its inception in 2013, the coalition has advocated for the road’s development, especially with the increased large truck traffic from the ongoing $295 million project to deepen and widen Port Freeport, which will enable the canal to accommodate larger container ships and bring more freight to the region. The work is expected to be completed by mid-2025, Port Chair Shane Pirtle said.
“There’s a potential to transfer a portion of the international trade from the West Coast to the Gulf Coast,” Meyers said. “That provides real opportunity for all types of industry distribution centers along the entire corridor.”
What they’re saying
Katy resident Ron Stefani said he believes residents don’t know much about the project. He said other residents have said they would like the opportunity to express their thoughts to project officials.
“We don’t want this in our backyard,” said Stefani, who also serves as a board member for Cinco Southwest Municipal Utility District No. 4. “Nobody wants this heavy traffic, ... and we don’t know what is going to be coming out of Port Freeport.”
Next steps
TxDOT officials will host public hearings in the fall regarding the proposed segments. Through these hearings, community members will be able to weigh in on the environmental study’s results and provide feedback before the project moves forward with a final route, said Sue Theiss, advanced project development director with TxDOT, during the Katy luncheon.
Dates have not yet been set for the hearings, but TxDOT officials will release the hearing dates on their website and through other circulation means, Theiss said.
