Project Updates



  1. The Texas Department of Transportation contracted with Williams Brothers Construction Co. to expand I-45 between FM 518 and FM 517 in Galveston County from six to eight mainlanes, which will be four lanes in each direction. Temporary pavement was constructed along the freeway, and traffic is being diverted on the mainlanes and the frontage roads to accommodate construction crews, particularly at the Hwy. 96 intersection, where the overpass will be widened. The entire project will be constructed in five phases.

    Estimated Timeline: November 2016-spring 2021




  2. Harris County Toll Road Authority is expanding the Sam Houston Tollway from four to eight mainlanes, which is four lanes in each direction. The 36-month construction project is 50 percent complete. The westbound lanes between the toll plaza and Hwy. 288 will be completed this winter. The eastbound lanes between Hwy. 288 and the toll plaza will open in the spring. The eastbound exit ramps at Monroe and Mykawa roads and South Wayside Drive are expected to open in mid-August.


    Estimated Timeline: March 2016-spring 2019


New Projects


3. FM 521 improvements
TxDOT will reconstruct and widen FM 521 to a four-lane divided boulevard between Beltway 8 and Shadow Creek Parkway. A grade separation will elevate Shadow Creek Parkway over FM 521 at the Missouri-Pacific railroad crossings.

Timeline: September 2017-2019
Cost: $24 million
Funding source: TxDOT



Future Projects


4. FM 521 expansion
FM 521 will expand to a four-lane divided boulevard from Evergreen Street to Hwy. 6 with intersection and signal improvements. The project is being designed. The anticipated letting in September 2023.

Timeline: N/A
Cost: $75.2 million
Funding source: TxDOT






How it works


Blue highway signs statewide a part of TxDOT’s Directional Signs Program




Blue highway signs statewide a part of TxDOT’s Directional Signs Program Travel-related businesses looking to get their slice of the $68 billion annual direct travel industry in Texas can participate in the Texas Department of Transportation’s Logo and Directional Signs Program.[/caption]

Travel-related businesses looking to get their slice of the $68 billion annual direct travel industry in Texas can participate in the Texas Department of Transportation’s Logo and Directional Signs Program. The blue advertising signs drivers see on the sides of Texas highways are a result of the program.


Business owners can lease space on the signs to place a logo at a cost ranging from $900-$3,250 per year for main lane signs and $150-$750 per year for ramp signs. The cost is determined by the daily traffic count for the area.


Only travel-related businesses—which include those selling gas, food or lodging; camping sites; 24-hour pharmacies; and those offering at least one primary motorist service—are eligible to participate in the program. Major shopping areas are also allowed to lease individual signs, according to LoneStar Logos & Signs, which partners with TxDOT to offer the Logo and Directional Signs Program.


TxDOT requires that businesses are located no more than 3 miles from an eligible highway.