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FM 1488 Widening TxDOT 1/12/2015 1:57:01 PMProject Narrative
The proposed project is located in Montgomery and Waller counties. Most of the growth affecting FM 1488 is forecast to be in Montgomery County. Montgomery County has experienced consistent growth over the past 50 years and is expected to continue this strong growth through year 2040. Montgomery County’s growth is largely due to it being a suburban county adjacent to Harris County, the core county of the metropolitan area. Although the number of local employees has been growing, many residents commute to work in Houston and other parts of Harris County. Most of the growth is estimated to be people moving into the county from other countries. The two counties through which the proposed project crosses are expected to experience significant growth over the next 35 years. In recent years, a number of commercial and industrial firms have established operations in Montgomery County. The more traditional elements of the county’s economy, including the timber industry, oil production, greenhouse crops, cattle, horses, hay, poultry, goats, and Christmas trees, are still important aspects of the county’s economy. The purpose and objective of the proposed action is to improve mobility and accessibility for people and goods in Montgomery and Waller counties, reduce congestion of existing roadways and highways, enhance safety, and provide improved connectivity. The existing facility consists of two 12-foot travel lanes, one-lane in each direction, and 8-foot shoulders. The proposed facility consists of widening the existing two lanes undivided roadway of FM 1488 from Joseph Road to west of FM 149 (7.82 miles) in Montgomery County to four 12-foot travel lanes, two in each direction, and a 16-foot continuous left turn lane with 10-foot shoulders and open ditches. An urban section from Yancey Street to Roy Street in the City of Magnolia, the roadway would consist of a curb and gutter section with four 12-foot travel lanes, a 16-foot flush median (continuous center left-turn lane), and 12-foot outside shoulders for share use as bike lanes. The existing ROW width is approximately 100 feet and the usual proposed ROW width is 150 feet. Five build alternatives were evaluated along the existing alignment including north, south, and center alignments, and two modified or “best fit” alignments—one for the rural sections of the project, and one for the urban section through Magnolia—to accommodate the proposed roadway widening. Alignments were initially evaluated based on a desired ROW width of 180 feet. However, based on public comments, alternatives were modified to 150-foot widths for rural sections and a 120-foot section requiring no additional ROW for the urban alignment. The no-build, or no-action, alternative was also considered. Design and environmental constraints, as well as public comments, were considered during the evaluation of the preliminary alternative alignments. The environmental constraints were identified and mapped along the project corridor to assist in the comparative analysis of alternatives. The proposed project would be constructed with a rural design section except for the portion through the City of Magnolia, which would be designed as an urban roadway section. More specifically, the western most rural section of FM 1488 would extend from approximately 1,100 feet west of Joseph Road to Yancey Street, west of Magnolia. The urban section of FM 1488 is primarily between Yancey Street and Roy Street. This section consists of a greater number of buildings and residences because of its location in the City of Magnolia. The alignment alternatives evaluated along the FM 1488 project corridor include the following: A. No-Build Alternative Due to current and future increases in population, the no-build alternative would not accommodate the mobility needs of the public resulting from the increased growth of businesses and residential developments, nor would it improve the operational efficiency and safety conditions along FM 1488 within the project limits. Therefore, the no-build alternative would not meet the project’s purpose and need. B. Alternatives Considered but Dismissed Three preliminary build alignments were studied with 180-foot ROW requirements. Alternative A Alternative A is the northern alignment for urban and rural sections. Alternative A would acquire all additional ROW primarily from the north side of the existing roadway. The total proposed ROW width in this area would be 180 feet. This alternative is not preferred because of increased impacts to floodplains, wetlands, and residential and commercial displacements. Public comments did not favor this alternative and it was dismissed in the early planning stages. Alternative B Alternative B is the southern alignment for urban and rural sections. Alternative B would require additional ROW primarily from the south side of the existing FM 1488 roadway. The total proposed ROW width in this area would be 180 feet. This alternative is not preferred due to an increased amount of ROW acreage as well as impacts to floodplains, potential historic structures, and hazardous material sites. Public comments did not favor this alternative and it was dismissed in the early planning stages. Alternative C1 Alternative C1 is the centered alignment for rural and urban sections. Alternative C1 would center the proposed alignment along the existing FM 1488 facility, thus dividing the additional ROW needs from both the north and south sides of the roadway as a best fit scenario. The total proposed ROW width of this alternative would be 180 feet. This alternative was not preferred due to an increased amount of ROW acreage as well as impacts to floodplains, potential historic structures, and hazardous material sites. Public comments did not favor this alternative and it was dismissed in the early planning stages. Preferred Build Alternative Two preferred build alternatives, C2 (for the rural sections) and D (for the urban section through Magnolia), resulted from the early planning process. The rural and urban preferred build alternatives were combined to form a single preferred build alternative. This alternative and the no-build alternative were carried through the remainder of the preliminary planning process. The corridor study covered by this Environmental Assessment document extends along FM 1488 from Joseph Road to FM 2978. The segment proposed in this application covers only a portion of the total project: from Joseph Road to FM 1774 in Magnolia, 0523-08-007 and from FM 1774 in Magnolia to west of FM 149, 0523-09-009. This represents the remainder two (2) projects from the corridor, as the segment from west of FM 149 to FM 2978 has already let for construction.Project Narrative
Yes Environmental Assessment (EA) Please Select Yes USACE and railroad permit required. Permits expired in 2010, and will need re-eval. 06/01/2008 Yes 0 01/01/2023 No Montgomery County would be responsible for the ROW acquisitions of any affected properties. Acquisition and relocation assistance would be in accordance with the TxDOT ROW Acquisition and Relocation Assistance Program. The number of parcels will be determined once ROW mapping is complete. No The first public meeting was held in August 2001. This meeting consisted of an information-gathering forum. The results of this meeting indicated that the people living along the project were in favor of improving the FM 1488 corridor. In December 2001, two more public meetings were held to present the alternatives for the proposed FM 1488 alignment. These public meetings showed alternatives for the roadway improvements within the project limits discussed in this EA. These meetings also included alternatives for FM 1488 from FM 2978 to Interstate Highway (IH) 45. The results of these meetings also indicated that the people living along the project area were in favor of improving the FM 1488 corridor, due to concerns for current traffic levels and safety issues. A third public meeting, held at Montgomery College on June 18, 2002, yielded comments that included requests to expedite the project, comments that the design would improve safety and congestion, and requests for traffic signals and turning lanes at several intersections. EA with FONSI was 100% complete in 2008. PS&E is at 30%.Evalutation Questions - Major Investments
Benefit/Cost Methodology
Please attach the completed BCA Excel worksheet and narrative explanation of analyses used