SH 36 is on the NHS and is functionally classified as 3: principle arterial. The proposed improvements would upgrade SH 36, a designated hurricane evacuation route, to increase safety, access, and mobility for the movement of goods and people in the southern Brazoria/coastal area. The project will also serve the local transportation needs of communities and towns.
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:
• Improved operational efficiency and safety,
• Correct roadway deficiencies, hydraulics/drainage, shoulders, correcting steep side slopes, and improving bridges,
• Added capacity for project population and economic growth;
• Improved mobility for hurricane evacuations due to SH 36’s designation as a hurricane evacuation route;
• Improved intermodal relationship with the Port of Freeport;
• Current truck traffic is at 10 percent and expected to increase;
• Facility is considered a freight bottleneck;
• Safety concerns, in that existing roadway alignments and configurations do not meet current AASHTO standards
During the Hurricane Rita (2005) evacuation event, SH 36 performed at a LOS F. With mobility being a key component for a hurricane evacuation route, improvements to the existing SH 36 facility are needed to upgrade the LOS to a level C or better during evacuation events.
SH 36 serves as a major transportation route for trucks importing and exporting commercial and industrial supplies to the Port of Freeport. The Port is expected to grow both in facility size and import/export traffic.
The purpose of the proposed project is to increase capacity and mobility and to improve the roadway design of the SH 36 facility. Additional travel lanes will accommodate the projected increase in traffic volumes during hurricane evacuations and projected future corridor traffic demands. Improving the existing roadway design by adding dedicated turning lanes and improving intersections will better accommodate turning movements along the corridor, thus improving safety, efficiency, and mobility in the project area for local traffic and heavy truck traffic from the Port of Freeport.
The proposed roadway would consist of a four-lane divided facility with a grassy center median. The proposed roadway for rural areas would consist generally of an open ditch section with four 12-ft lanes, two 10-ft outside shoulders, two 4-foot inside shoulders and a 68 to 81-ft depressed grassy center median.
The proposed project would generally follow the existing vertical and horizontal alignment except in areas where changes are required for design and safety standards or engineering/environmental constraints. Turn lanes and crossovers would allow for turning movements throughout the divided rural roadway areas of SH 36. Bike accommodations will be provided.
Several alternative alignments were investigated for the SH 36 roadway improvements based on an analysis of the existing traffic conditions, forecasts of future travel demand, and projected population growth. Several conceptual alternatives were considered, including a no build alternative, using a systematic, interdisciplinary approach, which included input from the public, as well as federal, state, and local agencies. Three alternatives for the SH 36 alignment were investigated. These alternatives were evaluated along the existing alignment including an east, west, and center alignment to accommodate the roadway widening. The no-build alternative was also considered. Both design and environmental constraints were evaluated in determining the preferred alignment. The improvements outlined in this application represent the preferred alternative.
The No-Build Alternative would not improve the roadway. Only routine maintenance would occur within this area, therefore, congestion would continue and safety problems may increase and evacuation would be compromised.
This section of SH 36 is not covered under the original EA. It will be constructed at a later date.
Environmental Assessment (EA)
Please Select
Yes
It is anticipated that an Individual Permit will be needed. It will be acquired by January 2019.
03/03/2014
Yes
0
06/01/2019
No
Typically, utility relocations are performed by the provider, with TxDOT reimbursement if eligible.
No
The environmental process has just kicked off again. A consultant is working on the document currently.
Public meeting – 7/18/2006
Public meeting – 4/3/2014 – regarding ROW
The amount of ROW parcels needed is to be determined when ROW mapping process has been completed.
The proposed project would eliminate the existing unsafe, undivided roadway by creating a divided roadway with a grassy center median or two-way left-turn lane that separates oncoming traffic. Additionally, the improvements would address other public safety and roadway deficiency problems that exist along the roadway.
. A major one is that evacuating the coastal region involves traveling through a major urban area. This complicates the movement of evacuees in that the roadways chosen as evacuation routes generally operate near capacity, and traffic demands often exceed capacity during peak commuter periods. In addition, some Houston area residents own property in the coastal region and may choose to drive to that area to secure and/or remove their belongings, returning to their Houston area homes using the evacuation routes. Improving mobility on hurricane evacuation route SH 36 would make for a faster, safer evacuation for the upper Gulf Coast region during hurricane events.
TxDOT is proposing roadway improvements to existing SH 36 to improve the operational efficiency and safety of the SH 36 facility, a designated hurricane evacuation route. Existing SH 36 is generally a north/south facility that connects many small south Texas coastal communities from Freeport to the urban area of Rosenberg within the project limits. The existing facility would generally be widened from two to four lanes and would include construction of overpasses at various locations.
The existing SH 36 facility is a two-lane, undivided roadway. The capacity is not sufficient to meet the roadway and safety standards required for a hurricane evacuation route and also will not accommodate future growth and commerce.
Fort Bend County has experienced strong growth for a number of years. Its proximity to Houston makes it a suburban county from which many residents commute to jobs in Houston and Harris County. In recent years, a number of commercial and industrial firms have established operations in Fort Bend County.
SH 36 is a designated hurricane evacuation route and serves as a major north/south route from Brazoria and Fort Bend counties including the Port of Freeport. The proposed roadway improvements are intended to improve the capacity and efficiency of the roadway primarily for use as a hurricane evacuation route. Within Brazoria County, there are four primary evacuation routes: SH 36, SH 35, SH 288, and FM 521. Within Fort Bend County, there are also four evacuation routes: SH 36, SH 6, US 90, and US 59. Fort Bend County is considered a “Reception” or “Host” county, meaning that it is inland and, in general, will supply shelter for citizens evacuating the coastal or “evacuation” counties. Evacuation routes are established through the “Host” counties with local, county, and state police agencies coordinating the traffic control. The primary evacuation route in Fort Bend County is SH 36. The Brazoria County Office of Emergency Management and the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management organize evacuation procedures. SH 36 and Spur 10 would be designed to current roadway standards for a hurricane evacuation route.
Spur 10 and SH 36 roadway improvements warrant changes to the existing design for roadway deficiencies. Many of the cross-streets tie in with SH 36 at sharp angles. Therefore, the geometry of the intersections would be upgraded by straightening out the skew angle of the intersections.
In addition to improving the operational efficiency and safety conditions of SH 36, the upgrading is warranted based on projected population growth both north and south of the project corridor, current and projected economic growth and development in the region, and the resulting projected increase in traffic volumes within the project limits.
SH 36 serves as a major transportation route for trucks importing and exporting commercial and industrial supplies to the Port of Freeport. The Port of Freeport is located at the intersection of SH 36 and FM 1495, the southern terminus of the project. Trucks transporting goods to and from this facility use SH 36 as a major north/south route. The Port is expected to grow both in facility size and import/export traffic in the future. In the U.S., the Port of Freeport is currently ranked 24th in the US for foreign tonnage, down from 13th in foreign tonnage in 2007 and 30th in total tonnage down from 23rd in total tonnage in 2007. The Port’s current economic impact to the region and Texas is $17.9B annually and contributes 13,362 direct jobs and 27,656 indirect jobs to the region and Texas.
The Port currently operates on 186 acres of developed land, has 7,000 acres of undeveloped land, 18 operating berths, and has plans for future expansion including a 1,300 acres multi-modal facility, two multi-purpose 1,600 foot berths on 50 feet of water and two dockside 120,000 sq. ft. transit sheds. The expansion of SH 36 would help to serve the Port and this area of the project by means of increased roadway capacity and safety considerations for the traveling public.
The Department’s modus operandi related to natural and cultural resources is: avoid, minimize, mitigate. This project/preferred alternative is not anticipated to result in unmitigated negative affects to the natural, cultural, or human environment. The preferred alternative would have minimal impact on noise, air, and water quality. The preferred alternative represents an optimal gain in roadway efficiency, LOS, and safety and minimizes construction costs and environmental impacts.
The No Build scenario will, however, have a negative impact on the community as traffic will increase, causing congestion, and a general deterioration of mobility and pavement conditions. In addition, hurricane evacuation will be impaired because of facility constraints.
In addition, law enforcement and emergency services would have a more efficient facility with which to perform their duties and freight will move more efficiently in/out of the Port. The improvements will also service several environmental justice areas include: low income, Female Head of Household, no auto households, and limited education. Easing congestion would reduce adverse impacts to air quality in our nonattainment area.
713-627-3200
