What residents need to know
The proposed 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 previously said.
Jacobs Engineering, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation, resumed the project’s environmental and alternative study in February, TxDOT Public Information Officer Kristina Hadley said in an email.
This came after the study faced several delays from 2020 to 2023, which resulted in the project being split into two segments, with one being from I-10 in Katy to Hwy. 6 just north of Hempstead, and the second connecting I-10 to the existing Hwy. 36 just south of Needville and Rosenberg, according to the project website.
The details
Hadley said TxDOT plans to host a public scoping meetings in mid-2025 to present the purpose and need of the project as well as:
- Sharing alternatives
- Publishing a project schedule
- Explaining the project definition and environmental process
To follow the progress, TxDOT has launched a project website.
What they’re saying
“With the rapid growth in our area, particularly in Fort Bend County and southern Waller County, it is vital that this study proceeds so that potential routes are identified and incorporated in planning before population growth eclipses those opportunities,” Highway 36A Coalition chairman Shane Pirtle said in a Dec. 9 news release.
The coalition’s goal is to advocate for regional transportation infrastructure from the port area to Hempstead to improve mobility, hurricane evacuation and drive economic development, according to its website.
Looking ahead
Following the publication of notice of intent in mid-2025, the study is expected to take three years, Jacobs Engineering Project Manager Greg Parrent said in the release. TxDOT is funding the $2 million study.
