HOUSTON — A $9 billion project to reconstruct I-45 between downtown Houston to the North Sam Houston Tollway is back on track.
TxDOT announced Tuesday it signed a Voluntary Resolution Agreement to resolve an investigation into the project, ending a two-year pause.
According to TxDOT, the VRA resolves the Federal Highway Administration's Title VI investigation into the I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project. The agreement is said to address the community impacts while providing a clear and enforceable timeline to be monitored.
Back in December, the City of Houston said it was ready to move forward after the project was stalled by a lawsuit filed in Harris County.
At the time the lawsuit was filed, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said construction from the project was creating more traffic and flooding problems, which are two things the project is aiming to prevent.
After deliberation, the county and city reached an agreement with TxDOT. Here were the terms agreed upon:
- TxDOT will make an effort to assist affected individuals and minimize disruption to businesses and communities. TxDOT will also make all efforts to relocate displaced individuals to comparable housing within their communities.
- TxDOT will work closely with the City of Houston and Harris County Flood Control District to identify drainage improvements that will reduce water elevations within the bayous.
- TxDOT will work with METRO to find a mutually acceptable solution to address short-and-long term impacts to existing transit facilities in Segment 3 at Wheeler Transit Center and address the replacement of the existing Downtown Connector Ramp.
- TxDOT will analyze traffic operations and impacts on relevant city streets based on the North Houston Highway Improvement Project-generate changes and continue to discuss mitigation measures for impacts on relevant city streets.
- TxDOT will coordinate with the city and neighboring community groups to identify secondary open public space uses around detention areas and identify additional trail routes while preserving the primary drainage function of the detention areas.
Business owners and activists were on both sides of the fence about the project.
Bryan Hucke is a manager at Huynh, a restaurant that will likely be forced out.
"We've built our business here. We've been at this location for 15 years," he said. "The downside to living in a growing city ... there's always the opportunity for a freeway or something like this happening here to take you out."
Huynh is near where I-69 is now. The I-45 expansion will put the freeway to the middle of Saint Emmanuel Street.
Officials said the three interstates that will be affected by the project carry about 560,000 trips daily. According to TxDOT, I-45 around the west side of downtown carries about 220,000 daily trips. It will be re-routed around to the east side of downtown, parallel to I-69, which carries about 185,000 trips daily, and then along the north side of downtown parallel to I-10, which carries about 163,000 daily trips.
Those who are opposed to the project want the livelihood of those who live and work in the area to be prioritized. Community activists are pushing back against the agreement. They said their concerns are being ignored.
"We were sad. We were hurt. We were disappointed most of all," Stephany Valdez said.
Valdez is an organizer with Stop TxDOT I-45, a group opposed to the project.
"The Federal Highway Administration is still not holding TxDOT accountable and this is going to lead to the displacement of black and brown communities," Valdez said.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the plan addresses many concerns, including providing relocation services to those affected, flooding and air quality mitigation and green space enhancements.
The project is expected to take 10 years to complete but it's unclear when it will begin.