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SH 36 Widening TxDOT 1/12/2015 1:09:33 PM

Project Narrative

This is one project that is part of a 51 mile SH 36 corridor improvement project. 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 including: Rosenberg, Pleak, Needville, Guy, Damon, West Columbia, Brazoria, Jones Creek, and Freeport. 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 in rural sections and a four-lane undivided facility with a continuous center left-turn lane in urban areas. The continuous two-way, left turn lane (CTWLTL) is a noted access management improvement for facilities that have fewer than six lanes and carry general carry lower volumes of traffic. The CTWLTL facilitates access management because it removes turning vehicles from the through movement, thus reducing the chance of rear end crashes. In addition, it provides safe storage for left turning vehicles into the through movement and will allow acceleration prior to merging. The proposed SH 36 corridor improvements begin with Spur 10 (Hartledge/Gerken Road), an extension of existing Spur 10 north of US 59, which extends from US 59 South along Hartledge/Gerken Road to the existing SH 36. An overpass at US 59 was constructed as part of another TxDOT project to link Spur 10 North and Spur 10 South. The improvements to SH 36 begin in Pleak, Fort Bend County, Texas at FM 2218 and extend south along SH 36 to FM 1495 in Freeport, Brazoria County, Texas. 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. For urban areas, the roadway would generally consist of four 12-ft lanes, a 14 to 16-ft flush median (center left-turn lane) with either ditches or a curb and gutter section. 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. Flush medians would allow for continuous left turning movements in urban areas to provide access to businesses. Turn lanes and crossovers would allow for turning movements throughout the divided rural roadway areas of SH 36. The intersections of SH 36 at FM 1301 and other side or cross-streets would remain at-grade. The proposed project would include parallel bridge structures over Varner Creek both north- and southbound. Bike accommodations will be provided. Roadway segments through the town of Brazoria and from the town of Jones Creek to the end of the project at FM 1495 would be designed within the existing ROW. general, rural areas will have a 10-foot outside shoulder to accommodate bikes and urban sections will have sidewalks. 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. The entire 51-mile corridor covered under one Environmental Assessment has been divided into segments for letting to construction. The project in this application is one of the segments. These segments may be further divided into phases. Frontage roads may be constructed first at overpasses to allow for uninterrupted traffic flow while the main lanes are under construction. The project represented in this application represents one stage of the total Environmental Assessment corridor.

SH36_Corridor.pdf

Project Narrative

Yes

Scoping.docx

Environmental Assessment (EA) Please Select Yes FONSI was approved in 2008, Re-eval. required. IP is in progress. Much of the ROW needed for this project will be acquired by Fort Bend County. 01/01/2007 Yes 93 03/01/2019 No Utilities that are determined to be in conflict with the roadway widening work are required to be relocated or adjusted. Additional ROW is required for this project. Hence the affected utilities will be relocated after the proposed ROW is acquired and before construction begins. The construction of this project can be phased to allow for some minor utility relocation during construction. Utility owners are 100% responsible for the cost for utility relocation or adjustment for this segment of the SH 36 corridor unless the utility owner owns the land of their facility by fee or by easement. If such is the case, then the utility relocation or adjustment will be paid for/reimbursed by TxDOT. There are no serviceable rail facilities, other than those associated directly with the Port, which would interfere with construction of the proposed project. No

Public involvement for the project, thus far, has included three rounds of public meetings and three limited public meetings. The first round of public meetings was held by TxDOT in September 1999 and consisted of two meetings, one at Needville High School and one at Brazoria Intermediate School. The second round of public meetings was held November 1, 2, and 3, 2000. Three meetings were held at Needville High School, First Baptist Church of Brazoria, and the Brazosport High School in Freeport. The purpose of these meetings was to present three proposed alternatives for the SH 36 alignment. The second Limited Public Meeting was held in February 2001 for the town of Jones Creek. The purpose of this meeting was to present alternatives for the SH 36/FM 2004 interchange just north of the town of Jones Creek as well as present several roadway design options through the town of Jones Creek. On April 18 and 19, 2001, a third round of public meetings was held to present the preferred alignment to the public. These meetings were held at the same locations as the second round of public meetings. This alignment consisted generally of widening to a four-lane divided section with a grassy center median in rural areas and a four-lane undivided section with a continuous center left-turn lane in urban areas. In June 2001, a third Limited Public Meeting was held for the town of Jones Creek to present a refined alignment of SH 36 through Jones Creek based on comments received from the April 2001 public meetings.

The Environmental Assessment is 100% complete. ROW mapping is in progress. Plans for this project are 50% complete. This project consists of the reconstruction and widening of a non-freeway facility from a two-lane undivided rural, to a four-lane divided rural facility, and a four-lane undivided urban facility within the Cities of Needville and Guy. The design of this project was 50% completed and shelved in 2008 due to non-acquisition of the required right of way (ROW). Since the project is 50% complete, plans and standards can be updated quickly and the project can be made ready for letting if construction funds and ROW are provided for this project. Brazoria County (County) is working on a Pass-Through Finance (PTF) project with TxDOT to grade separate SH 36 over SH 35, which is currently scheduled to let before Fall 2015. Those plans are 95% complete. This PTF project is 1.151 miles in length and requires the widening of SH 36 from two to four-lane divided non-freeway facility including bridge structures over SH 35. The PFT project is within the limits of the original 14-mile SH 36 project that was shelved in 2008. Portions of the additional ROW for the original SH 36 project will be acquired by the County for this PTF project thereby reducing the ROW needed for the original SH 36 project.

0188-02-029 - Schematic - SH 36 from FM 2218 to S of Needville-Fairchilds.pdf

Map/Location

0188-02-029 - GIS - SH 36.jpg

Project Budget

0188-02-029 - Budget - SH36.xlsx

No

No

Evalutation Questions - Major Investments

Benefit/Cost Methodology

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

0188-02-029 - BCT - SH 36.pdf

Life-Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis Methodology.docx

Narrative Benefits

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. In Freeport, SH 36 leads to the Port of Freeport at FM 1495 where a non-signalized T-intersection is located. Heavy truck traffic, related to the Port activities, increases safety problems at this T-intersection. There are also numerous unsafe and less desirable intersections that would be improved by adding grade separations and improved roadway design at various locations within the SH 36 corridor. Evacuating the Houston-Galveston area is unique in many respects. 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. Brazoria County has also experienced significant, but less dramatic growth. The SH 36 project area is expected grow at a relatively slow, but steady average annual rate.

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. The existing bridges along SH 36 at Varner Creek within this project’s limits are also deficient for highway standards of a designated hurricane evacuation route. These bridges do not have adequate railings, widths or structural capacities, and would have to be upgraded to current standards for the proposed roadway improvements.

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.

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