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 eight 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 improvements would upgrade SH 36, a designated hurricane evacuation route, to increase safety, access and mobility for the transportation of people and commercial goods in coastal areas in emergency situations. This project would also serve the local transportation needs of communities and towns within the project area.
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 proposed roadway for rural areas would consist generally of an open ditch section with four 12-ft lanes, two 10-ft outside shoulders, two 8-ft inside shoulders and a 68 to 81-ft depressed grassy center median. Design speeds for rural areas of SH 36 are 70 mph. Bridge structures are required for Jones Creek Relief Structure and over Jones Creeks.In 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.
Frontage roads may be constructed first at these overpasses to allow for uninterrupted traffic flow while the main lanes are under construction.
Environmental Assessment (EA)
Please Select
Yes
USACE Individual Permit received 8/17/2014, expires 12/31/2019. FONSI 2008, need re-eval.
06/01/2008
Yes
53
08/01/2017
No
Typically, the utility provider is responsible for relocation. If eligible, they are reimbursed by TxDOT.
No
Public Meeting – 9/14/2000
Public Meeting – 10/30/2000
Public Meeting – 11/1/2000
Public Meeting – 11/2/2000
Public Meeting – 11/3/2000
Public Meeting - 4/18/2001
Public Meeting – 4/19/2001
No known controversy.
The proposed project would eliminate the existing unsafe, undivided roadway by creating a divided roadway with a grassy center median or center left-turn lane that separates oncoming traffic. Additionally, the improvements would address other public safety and roadway deficiency problems that exist along the roadway. Heavy truck traffic related to the Port increases safety problems. There are also numerous unsafe and less desirable intersections that would be improved and improved roadway design at various locations within the project limits.
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 route northward from Brazoria and Fort Bend counties. The Spur 10 portion of the project would connect directly with the existing Spur 10 north of US 59 to allow traffic to continue northward. 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 bridges along SH 36 and Hartledge/Gerken Road 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 13th in foreign tonnage and 23rd in total tonnage (Port of Freeport, 2007). The Port is currently in the planning stages to add an additional 800,000-container capacity terminal to its facility and boasts 7,500 ac available for additional future development. 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
