Texas DOT Breaks Ground on First Phase of $13B Rehab of I-45 in Houston
Drainage problems and increased congestion are the driving force behind the freeway expansion – one of the state's largest infrastructure...
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Work has begun on the I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project, a $13 billion expansion to reduce congestion, marking one of the largest infrastructure projects in Texas.
The project includes rebuilding downtown Houston’s freeway system – covering I-45, I-69 and I-10 – and rerouting I-45’s path through Houston to run parallel to I-69 and I-10.
The Texas Department of Transportation's groundbreaking ceremony last month took place in downtown Houston, near where the first phase of the project will begin. Segment 3B-1 includes installing 12-foot box culverts to direct stormwater to detention ponds. This first phase has a price tag of $121 million and is forecast to be completed in 2027.
The entire project is expected to take 18 years to complete.
“This road is about economic development. … You’re talking about joining the two sides of downtown,” said Transportation Commissioner Steven Alvis. “In addition, it will move freight and give people back time. If you can save people 20 minutes twice a day, think about what that means for them and their families.”
Phase 2 (Segment 3B-2) of the I-45 project – expected to begin in January and be completed in 2030 – will focus on new mainlines, frontage roads and enhanced bike and pedestrian infrastructure on I-69 between SH 288 and I-45. This phase will cost $695.5 million. The entire Segment 3 of the I-45 project will involve 12.3 miles of interstate reconstruction.
Houston-based Harper Brothers Construction has been awarded the contract for Segment 3B-1, and Williams Brothers Construction of Peoria Heights, Illinois, won Segment 3B-2.
TxDOT points to inadequate highway capacity for both current and future traffic on the North Houston corridor as a driving force for the project, saying congestion will increase if no action is taken.
Additionally, as a designated evacuation route in the event of a hurricane or other emergency, TxDOT says I-45’s effectiveness would be limited without expansion. TxDOT also says sections of the road do not meet current design standards. That includes high water levels at the I-45/I-10 underpass during heavy rains due to inadequate stormwater drainage.
Along the project’s corridor, average daily traffic volumes to 2040 are projected to increase by up to 40%.
For a closer look at TxDOT's full project timeline, click here.
