Houston Will Get $12.4b to Improve Roads Over The Next Decade

The city is one of the largest metropolises in the southern states.

Source : Wikimedia

October 18, 2022

Author : Alex Bustillos

Texas, one of the fastest-growing states, needs its infrastructure expanded and upgraded to support a thriving population. Houston is the largest metropolis in Texas. 

According to a survey conducted by CoPilot and the Federal Highway Administration, Houston has the 22nd worst roads in the country. In total 28.6% of the highways and 7.9% of the routes are in bad condition.

For this reason, TxDOT, the state's department of transportation, has launched a 10-year Unified Transportation Program (UTP). The purpose is fast track reforms of the state's infrastructure grid. 

It will allow for the distribution of government construction money for the next 10 years, through 12 financing categories. The agency will work with elected officials, local planning organizations, and the public to support the state's top transportation projects. 

The UTP includes highway, public, maritime, aviation, rail, freight, and international trade projects. TxDOT puts together the UTP and it approved by the Texas Transportation Commission.

"The State of Texas is working to ensure the transportation needs of our fast-growing state are met and that the safety of Texans on the roadways is protected," explained Governor Abbott. “TxDOT's 2023 Unified Transportation Program is a critical step toward addressing the diverse needs of Texans in rural, urban, and metropolitan communities.”

About $12.4 billion will be allocated to the Houston metropolitan area. These proposals involve giving precedence to I-45. Already underway is the widening of the Gulf Freeway from the Causeway Bridge to 61st Street in Galveston County. Beginning in 2023, plans call for the roadway to be widened into the county from the Causeway Bridge to 61st Street.

“The UTP reflects a continued focus on improving transportation safety as the top priority, maintaining our current system, addressing traffic congestion, and improving statewide connectivity over the next decade,” said TxDOT Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, Jr. 

I-45 North, from downtown Houston to Beltway 8, is also being prepped for several enhancements, including new controlled express lanes, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and the reconfiguration of I-45 east of downtown.

"The primary objective is to get traffic moving in these places," said TxDOT’s Danny Perez. We have observed instances in which the population may double.

Next year, a significant project to widen FM 518 in the Pearland region will commence. The development will continue for three years while TxDOT improves the commute for the numerous Houston workers.

State Highway 146 in Kemah will be enlarged from FM 518 to Dickinson, while a bridge in La Marque will be widened from FM 519 to the north of State Loop 197.

All of these initiatives are scheduled to launch within the next few months.

Follow Contractor News for the latest information on roadwork and other related projects.

Category : Department of Transportation State Government Freeways and Highways

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