HOUSTON — It's been called a resiliency project years in the making to prevent troublesome images showing a flooded I-10 from ever going underwater again.
"This project is intended to raise I-10 above that floodplain and reduce the opportunity for it to flood," Texas Department of Transportation program director Grady Mapes said.
Leaders with TxDOT are looking to raise a nearly two-mile stretch of I-10 from Heights Boulevard to I-45 above the floodplain. It's an area that has forced the closure of the interstate 10 times within the last 30 years after major rain events.
"This project increases the amount of detention that's under I-10," Mapes said.
The plan is to add a 26-acre detention pond underneath it and remove 18 acres of concrete currently at the site while also contributing to the roadway's natural development.
"We're working with Harris County Flood Control and the City of Houston on the construction of adjacent trails that would increase the length and improve some of the connectivity of that trail network in the area," Mapes said.
It's a move that's being met with pushback from residents voicing concerns over the proposed elevation and potential noise.
"There are homes right up against the freeway on both sides and it'll be an issue for us during construction and then afterward," Donna Bennett, who's lived in the Heights for the last three decades, said.
While TxDOT crews said there won't be any displacements of residents or businesses, the main priority is getting the project right for all involved.
"We want it to work with the surrounding communities and stakeholders and be something that works for them as well," Mapes said.
"I hope they listen to the community and do as much mitigation as they possibly can to minimize the impact on us," Bennett said.
Construction is slated to start in early 2025 and will take about four years to complete. TxDOT is accepting feedback on the proposal until Feb. 1. Click here to read more about it.