TxDOT Approves I-45 Widening Despite Local Opposition
Despite every manner of local opposition, the Texas Department of Transportation is pushing forward with a plan to widen Interstate 45 north of the city of Houston, demolishing and displacing thousands of homes, businesses, and community facilities. February 7, 2021, 11am PST | James Brasuell | Texas highway officials Thursday gave themselves the green light to rebuild Interstate 45 in Houston, a crucial step in the process, despite lingering concerns from critics that the proposed $7.5 billion widening project is out of step with the region s future needs, report Dug Begley in a paywalled article for the Houston Chronicle.
Specifically, TxDOT issues a record of decision that signals that the project has completed its federally required environmental impact studies and allows for more advanced design work to get underway, according to a separate (not paywalled) article by Emma Whalen.
TxDOT moves ahead with I-45 expansion as objections continue
Tags:
HOUSTON – The Texas Department of Transportation has given itself approval to move into the next phase of a $7.5 billion proposal to rebuild Interstate 45 in downtown Houston, despite community concerns that the highway expansion’s disadvantages outweigh its proposed benefits.
TxDOT announced a “record of decision” Thursday, a formality that moves the proposed expansion from the environmental phase to the design phase.
“The (record of decision) is a necessary step in moving into the detailed design phases of project development, which is where we will have the opportunity to fully explore many of the project refinements requested since the release of the Draft EIS and subsequent public hearings,” said TxDOT Houston District Engineer Eliza Paul.
HOUSTON, Texas The $7 billion overhaul of I-45 through much of downtown Houston and the Northside cleared a hurdle for approval Feb. 4, marking a new phase for the contentious project.
The North Houston Highway Improvement Project proposes, among other things, rerouting I-45 away from Midtown and through the East End while expanding it through much of the Northside.
On Feb. 4, the Texas Department of Transportation [TxDOT] issued a record of decision, signaling one of the final hurdles before construction can begin. The decision signals that the project has completed its federally required environmental impact studies, and it allows for more advanced design work to get underway. The timeline for the design phase and eventual construction has not been finalized, but previous estimates have suggested that the record of decision marks the last major hurdle before the design-build phase can begin, starting with the downtown portion of the project.
HOUSTON – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) today announced the issuance of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP), which signals the completion of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for environmental clearance.
HOUSTON, Texas The $7 billion overhaul of I-45 through much of downtown Houston and the Northside cleared a hurdle for approval Feb. 4, marking a new phase for the contentious project.
The North Houston Highway Improvement Project proposes, among other things, rerouting I-45 away from Midtown and through the East End while expanding it through much of the Northside.
On Feb. 4, the Texas Department of Transportation [TxDOT] issued a record of decision, signaling one of the final hurdles before construction can begin. The decision signals that the project has completed its federally required environmental impact studies, and it allows for more advanced design work to get underway. The timeline for the design phase and eventual construction has not been finalized, but previous estimates have suggested that the record of decision marks the last major hurdle before the design-build phase can begin, starting with the downtown portion of the project.