Adam RollinsThis story was originally published in the Texas Government Insider newsletter from Strategic Partnerships, Inc. To have the latest government contracting news stories from across the country delivered straight to your inbox, click here to subscribe.
The city of Houston will invest $48.7 million to reconstruct a series of critical roadways in order to support multimodal mobility, enhance traffic safety and revitalize transportation infrastructure. Construction is expected to begin in 2025.
The Telephone Road: Main Street Revitalization project will require $26.2 million to rehabilitate and modernize a 2.8-mile section of roadway. In line with the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan, the project will emphasize safety improvements to better protect non-motorized travelers and transit users. That includes restriping crosswalks, installing green cross-bike marking and creating protected bidirectional bicycle lanes.
Traffic control measures will include reconstructing curbs and drainage to create tighter corners, designs to slow vehicles and enhance visibility. Additional efforts to protect pedestrians will include installing median refuge islands at nine locations as well as CCTV cameras at three fully rebuilt intersections.
The city will redesign the roadway to be more accessible by constructing ADA-accessible ramps and installing pedestrian-activated, signalized intersections. In addition, plans include supporting transit users by building and upgrading METRO bus stops and shelters with integrated lighting, digital bus information and access improvements.
Houston will invest $16 million to complete the second and third phases of the Westridge & Braes Terrace Street Improvements project. These phases will prioritize replacing, repairing and enhancing the streets in two neighborhood sections. The city will start by removing and replacing all curbs, gutters and driveway aprons within the project limits. The reconstructed roadways will be supplemented with new sidewalks, pavement and streetlight systems.
As part of the sidewalk replacement portion of the project, the city will also replace all storm sewer lines. Plans also include replacing water lines to ensure clean water compliance and improve service.
Approximately $6.5 million will be allocated to improve University Boulevard. The city will fully reconstruct the roadway and improve the segment’s stormwater, drinking water and wastewater systems.
Photo courtesy Michael Barera
