North Houston Highway Improvement Plan
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EnglishVoice Age
Middle Aged (35-54)Accents
North American (General) North American (US General American - GenAM)Transcript
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the sun is shining, and it's time to hit the road for another busy workday in Houston, you know, even if you live in a historic neighborhood like Independent Heights, just eight miles from downtown Houston, getting the work on time can be tough if you travel on Interstate 45. It's known as one of the nation's worst traffic hot spots, especially that stretched from the southern part of downtown. Across the Pierce elevated north to air text. Dr. Bottlenecks along this segment caused miles of stressful delays for drivers. Well, the Texas Department of Transportation or Text DOT has developed a plan to reroute I 45. So here's the new route. It follows I 45 south until I 10 and then follows I 10 eastward to US 59 i 69 southward past the George R. Brown Convention Center, and it continues westward until it meets the current highway. The new route does not use the pierce elevated. Instead, exits will lead to downtown destinations, and express lanes will speed the flow of traffic moving beyond downtown. So Textile has been planning the North Houston Highway Improvement Project for more than 10 years to fix the problems along this important highway through more than 300 public and stakeholder meetings. Valuable input has been received from residents, civic groups, the business community and other interested parties. And this outreach effort helped shape the plan to relieve congestion and improve safety, roadway drainage and air quality. From downtown Houston to Beltway eight near Bush Intercontinental Airport, the new route enhances the safety of merging lanes. Curves that slow traffic and exit locations. New frontage roads and emergency lanes are also safety features. Two way managed lanes will be available 24 7 to replace the single lane available on Lee during rush hour. Right now, these new lanes will also allow Metro buses to transit rapidly from Bush Intercontinental Airport to downtown. And more people will be able to move along I 45 with more ride sharing and mass transit options benefiting both travelers and commuters. Bridges like the one at Houston Avenue and at other locations will be raised to meet new federal height requirements. Lanes will be reconfigured so drivers won't be forced to make those quick lane changes emerges anymore. Express lanes will allow drivers to move beyond downtown without having to interact with traffic that's exiting. And instead of widening I 45 to handle more single occupant vehicles, text DOTS design will allow the system to handle more transit and high occupancy trips. The new design of the freeway interchanges will eliminate weaving maneuvers and improve safety. The improvements to I 45 as well as I 10 and I 69 will be designed to improve flooding issues, too, including pumping systems to drain floodwater to detention ponds that will hold the water until it could be safely released into the bias. And these proposed floodwater detention areas are also being looked at as potential open spaces that will enhance the quality of life in the nearby neighborhoods. And there are other features of the project to like decks built over the freeway near the George R. Brown Convention Center. These air decks that can be beautified with landscaping and other enhancements through funding and support by local agencies and groups bike lanes with curb separating them from cars, sidewalks designated solely for pedestrian safety and separated from bikes and cars. High visibility crosswalks and other pavement markings curb changes and sloped curbs and corners designed to slow down motorists when they're turning. And all these features could be enhanced with separate projects for landscaping and beautification. Now to allow for these highway improvements, some residents and businesses will need to move. This includes the residents of Clayton Homes, a housing development built in 1956 that suffered major flooding during Hurricane Harvey and now must be demolished. Tex dot recognized early on that it was important to reach out to people who must be displaced, and we're committed to working with them during the relocation process. As Houston continues to grow rapidly, studies show this I 45 project, along with projected increases in the market demand for electric cars and mass transit ridership, will help the region better comply with federal air quality standards. Improved mobility also means safer and more efficient routes for trucks moving all those tons of cargo from Houston's massive seaport. And considering the port is one of the nation's largest high tonnage cargo transportation facilities, it's clear this I 45 project will be a key factor in Houston's future as a leader in job creation, economic development and global trade and commerce. So, in a nutshell, the North Houston highway improvement project is designed to improve safety, increased transit options, increase opportunities to walk or bike to wherever we want to go, reduce traffic congestion, address flooding and drainage issues along the corridor, and enhance the beauty of our region along the way. Tex DOT developed this project using valuable ideas and suggestions from the community, local businesses and other stakeholders and as the project moves forward, will continue to keep everyone informed about the design and construction phases of the project. Tex dot is connecting you with Texas tex DOT is connecting you with Texas tex DOT Is connecting you with Texas text thought is connecting you with Texas.