Project Narrative

Describe the primary problems to be addressed by the project (Project Need).
1500 characters max The need for the project is based on existing and anticipated congestion, safety, operations/state of good repair, and economic conditions of the area, including: • Demand exceeds capacity during both of the daily commute periods • Many of the critical IH 45 bridge crossings require replacement or major reconstruction • Many section of IH 45 need major pavement maintenance • Improved operational efficiency and safety, • Correct roadway deficiencies, • Added capacity for project population and economic growth; • Improved mobility for hurricane evacuations due to IH 45’s designation as a hurricane evacuation route is a documented concern; • Roadway flooding contributes to reduced highway capacity and increased congestion • Current truck traffic is at six percent and expected to increase; • Facility is considered a freight bottleneck; • Improved connectivity is needed for major employment generators such as Galveston Island, NASA communities, and the nearby ports. I-45 is a major north-south corridor that connects Houston and Galveston. It serves daily trips to/from employment centers and provides access to tourist attractions on Galveston Island. It is also the primary evacuation route for Galveston County during hurricane events. The existing roadway is a 6-lane freeway (three mainlanes in each direction) with 2-lane frontage road lanes in each direction. Existing traffic volumes (AADT) are 54,500 vpd and are expected to reach 104,428 by 2038, almost doubling over that time period. Demand currently exceeds capacity during peak travel periods. The need for more efficient hurricane evacuation is a documented concern. The existing infrastructure, including bridges, is aging and in need of major rehabilitation and/or reconstruction. The existing interchanges are inefficient and do not meet current design standards. Describe the primary outcomes to be achieved by the project (Project Purpose).
1500 characters max The project would increase capacity to accommodate future growth in the area. It would improve evacuation capability of the corridor for the region during hurricane events. The project would also enhance safety by upgrading the facility to current design standards. Describe the proposed improvement (Facility/Limits/Description).
1500 characters max The proposed project would widen the existing facility from a 6-lane to an 8-lane freeway, providing one additional mainlane in each direction and would add two, 2-lane frontage roads. The project would also incorporate pedestrian and bicycle accommodations along the I-45 frontage roads. Describe any alternatives to the proposed improvement which have been considered or will be evaluated.
3000 characters max Alternatives for the I-45 widening were considered during the major investment study that was conducted for the corridor from Beltway 8 in Houston to 61st Street in Galveston. They included a No-Build Alternative, a Transportation Systems Management Alternative, and four Build Alternatives. Please describe any opportunities for staged construction of the project.
1500 characters max The widening of I-45 would extend approximately 4.5 miles and could be built largely within the existing right-of-way. Opportunities may exist for staging if ROW still needs to be acquired, but the State anticipates letting the project as one full project. Staged Construction Attachment IH45S_Corridor.pdf

Project Development/Readiness

Has a scoping meeting been conducted with TxDOT or FTA?
Note: A brief scoping meeting will be scheduled during the application review period for any “Major Investment” project which has not already had one. Yes What level of environmental documentation is required for the proposed project? Environmental Assessment (EA) Will any permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard, railroad, etc. be required before the project can be constructed? Yes Please provide an estimated completion date for the 30% Design/PS&E milestone. 04/01/2005 Will additional property, or interest in property (easement), be required to implement the project? No Has a utility evaluation been completed for the project? No Please describe the process for utility adjustments/relocations (entity responsible, financial responsibility, etc.). Utility adjustments are by the provider with TxDOT reimbursement. Will the project improve or significantly affect infrastructure owned or operated by another agency? No Please describe previous and upcoming public involvement activities related to the proposed project. The project was part of a major investment study of the I-45 corridor. Public meetings were held between 1998 and 1999 as part of that study to identify the public’s general perception of the problems and needs within the corridor. • Public Meeting – 3/23/2006 • Public Hearing - TBD Public Involvement Attachment Please provide any additional project development/readiness information relevant to the proposed project. The environmental and PS&E are 30% complete. The project can be built within existing ROW, with possible corner clips. Additional Project Development/Readiness Attachment 0500-04-105 - Schematic - IH 45 S from N of FM 519 to N of FM 1764.pdf

Map/Location

Please provide a clear and concise GIS coverage or PDF map of the proposed project.
(*.mpk ESRI Map Package file preferred) 0500-04-105 - GIS - IH 45 S from N of FM 519 to N of FM 1764.jpg

Project Budget

Please attach a completed project budget worksheet.
Templates are available on the 2015 TIP Call Website
Uploaded files are limited to Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, PDFs, GIS files, and image files.
File size cannot exceed 30MB. 0500-04-105 - Budget - IH45.xlsx Is this application for a transit project, ITS project, or other project that would have a significant ongoing operating/maintenance cost? No Are transportation development credits being requested? No

Benefit/Cost Methodology

Please attach the completed BCA Excel worksheet and narrative explanation of analyses used

BCA Excel spreadsheet 0500-04-105 - BCT - IH 45 S.pdf Analysis Narrative Life-Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis Methodology.docx

Narrative Benefits

Safety: Please provide additional description of project benefits. The project would upgrade the roadway to current design standards. It would increase efficiency of hurricane evacuation. It would improve the configuration of the interchanges to more standard designs. The proposed project will improve safety by upgrading the roadway to current design standards, and improve hurricane evacuation by adding lanes and providing continuous freeway geometry between portions of IH 45 north and south of the project. Travel safety is measured by the frequency of traffic accidents, which characterizes the conditions of many roadways. These roadways have a high number of intersections, traffic signals, and driveways, all of which may contribute to stop-and-go conditions, increased crash rates, and congestion during peak travel times and emergency events. According to the IH 45 MIS, historic traffic accident rates for IH 45 are generally higher than those recorded for other similar roadways throughout the state of Texas. Unless improvements are made to the transportation system, safety will worsen as traffic increases along IH 45. Alternatives to address this issue included upgrading the existing facility's characteristics (i.e., additional travels lanes and protected left-turn lanes), which would result in a "safer" operating level. The proposed improvements to IH 45 would improve regional and local safety for the traveling public by minimizing conditions that contribute to stop-and-go conditions, increased crash rates, and congestion during peak travel times and emergency events. Safety Narrative Attachment Congestion: Please provide additional description of project benefits. The project would increase capacity by adding a lane in each direction of I-45. It would remove left hand entrances and exits that cause weaving problems. The proposed improvements are needed to increase capacity and upgrade design features along this segment of IH 45 to accommodate future growth of the region and resulting traffic volumes, to improve mobility and safety, and to facilitate hurricane evacuation. Travel patterns within the study area reinforce the need to plan for improved roadway facilities. In 1990, trips remaining within the IH 45 South Corridor represented approximately 79 percent of the total trips generated by the corridor (TxDOT 1999). Only 21 percent ofthe total daily trips either left the corridor or entered the corridor from outside the project vicinity. However, this does not hold true for weekends and holidays when tourist attractions bring in a larger percentage of trips from outside the corridor. Overall, these travel patterns are expected to be maintained suggesting that regional travel facilities, such as IH 45, would continue to be used for shorter intra-corridor type trips as well as regional ones. Travel demand exceeds capacity on a recurring basis during both of the daily commute periods, specifically near the northern end of the project. This demand causes severe congestion and bottlenecks along the IH 45 South Corridor (including locations at Beltway 8, Bay Area Boulevard, NASA Road 1, and FM 1959) and at inadequate driveway access points along the frontage roads. In the southern portion of the study area, seasonal recreational and special event directional demand exceeds capacity on a regular basis. This excess demand typically occurs during the weekends (morning travel to Galveston, beach communities, and opposing travel during evening) and is in addition to an underlying bi-directional travel commute demand between the cities of Galveston, La Marque, and Dickinson as well as Texas City. Furthermore, an excessive demand occurs between the mainland and the Port of Houston and other area attractions. Due to the facility's limited capacity, residents (generally located south of the study area), responding to warnings of approaching hurricanes, have experienced significant delays using the IH 45 South Corridor as a main evacuation route. Existing north-south roadways serving the corridor consist exclusively of IH 45 and SH 3. Evacuation from Galveston Island and the lower mainland is a concern during pre-storm conditions and emergency evacuations. Due to low elevation levels, emergency conditions are enhanced in the project vicinity due to flooding and congestion during weather of approaching storms. Flooding along IH 45 contributes to reduced highway capacity and increased levels of congestion. Other roadways, such as SH 146 and SH 6, provide limited relief to IH 45, which is a primary hurricane evacuation route. The Galveston Causeway on IH 45 provides the only access to Galveston Island from the lower mainland. When incidents obstruct the Causeway there are very limited alternatives routes, which results in a breakdown of the IH 45 freeway. Congestion Narrative Attachment Asset Management/Operations: Please provide additional description of project benefits. The proposed improvements to this section of IH 45 will provide for continuous freeway geometry through the area, which would not only benefit daily traffic conditions but also facilitate hurricane evacuation efforts. The project will also widen shoulders, reconstruct and widen the existing two- to three-lane one-way frontage roads in sections, reconfigure ramps, and upgrade other design features to meet current design standards. Asset Mgmt/Ops Narrative Attachment Regional Economic Competitiveness: Please provide additional description of project benefits. I-45 is a regionally significant corridor that connects Houston to Galveston as well as the major ports of Texas City and Galveston. This section of the facility carries six percent truck traffic and is considered a freight bottleneck. Econ Competitiveness Narrative Attachment Natural/Cultural Resources: Please provide additional description of project benefits. The project would improve access to cultural resources in Houston and Galveston while limiting impacts to the adjacent greater Galveston Bay area. Reducing congestion on this major corridor would reduce adverse impacts on air quality in our nonattainment area. IH 45 has a high number of intersections, traffic signals, and driveways, all of which may contribute to stop-and-go conditions, increased crash rates, and congestion during peak travel times and emergency events. Accident rates along IH 45 were computed to determine the relative safety of the existing facility. Traffic accident rates for IH 45 are generally higher than those recorded for other similar roadways throughout the state of Texas. Unless improvements are made to the transportation system, safety will worsen as traffic increases along IH 45. The proposed improvements to IH 45 (i.e., additional travels lanes and protected left-turn lanes) would improve regional and local safety for the traveling public by minimizing conditions that contribute to stop-and-go conditions, increased crash rates, and congestion during peak travel times and emergency events. Decreasing congestion on this major north-south corridor in an air quality nonattainment area would contribute to cleaner air in the region. Environment Narrative Attachment 0500-04-105 - BIKE - IH 45 S from N of FM 519 to N of FM 1764.jpg