BROOKSHIRE, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Residents of Katy, Brookshire, Fulshear, Waller and surrounding communities will have an opportunity on Tuesday, July 14 to help shape one of the most significant transportation projects proposed for the region in decades.
The Texas Department of Transportation will host two public scoping meetings as it begins the environmental review process for the Highway 36A North Project, a proposed limited-access highway that would connect Interstate 10 west of Katy with U.S. 290 west of Waller.
The meetings mark the beginning of the formal public input process and will allow residents to review preliminary information and provide feedback before TxDOT selects a preferred route.
What Is the Proposed Highway 36A North Project?
The proposed Highway 36A North corridor would extend approximately 20 to 25 miles between Interstate 10 and U.S. 290, creating a new north-south transportation route through western Waller County while improving regional connectivity with Fort Bend County.
Unlike improvements to an existing roadway, Highway 36A North would be an entirely new corridor. TxDOT is evaluating multiple preliminary alignments, but no preferred route has been selected.
Current concepts include:
- Four main travel lanes in each direction separated by a median.
- Frontage roads where needed to maintain local access.
- Bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.
- Drainage improvements.
Because the project remains in its earliest planning stages, the exact route and any potential property impacts have not yet been determined.
How Highway 36A North Could Improve Freight Traffic and Hurricane Evacuation
Although the public meetings concern only the northern segment, Highway 36A North is part of a broader transportation vision that has been under discussion for decades.
If ultimately constructed, the northern segment would connect with the proposed Highway 36A South project, creating a continuous north-south transportation corridor linking Brazoria, Fort Bend and Waller counties with highway connections leading to the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Transportation planners say the corridor would improve commercial freight movement while providing motorists with another option as the region continues to grow.
The proposed corridor also would serve as an additional hurricane evacuation route from the Texas Gulf Coast, reducing reliance on existing highways during major storm evacuations.
Supporters have long argued that another major north-south corridor would improve regional mobility, relieve congestion on existing roadways and strengthen economic development throughout Southeast Texas.
TxDOT
The proposed Highway 36A North Project would create a new transportation corridor between Interstate 10 west of Katy and U.S. 290 west of Waller. If eventually combined with the separately proposed Highway 36A South corridor, the route could provide an additional hurricane evacuation route while improving freight movement and regional mobility across Southeast Texas.
TxDOT Wants Public Comments Before Choosing a Preferred Route
The July meetings begin the Environmental Impact Statement process required under federal law.
TxDOT is asking residents, property owners and businesses to comment on:
- Preliminary route alternatives.
- Environmental resources that could be affected.
- Parks, historic sites and recreational areas.
- Floodplains and wetlands.
- Other issues that should be evaluated before a final alignment is selected.
The agency has advised that every preliminary alignment under consideration could require the acquisition of private property. However, no decisions have been made regarding the final location of the corridor.
Highway 36A North Is Part of a Larger Regional Transportation Plan
The project now under review represents only the northern half of the proposed Highway 36A corridor.
TxDOT completed public scoping for the proposed Highway 36A South Project last year. That separate project would extend from south of Needville to Interstate 10 west of Katy. If both projects ultimately receive environmental clearance, funding and final approval, they could create a continuous transportation corridor connecting the Port Freeport area with North Texas.
Transportation officials say the long-term vision is to improve regional mobility, support continued population growth, strengthen freight movement and expand transportation capacity across one of the fastest-growing regions in Texas.
Covering Katy and the 36A coalition.
If fully constructed, Texas Highway 36A would create a new north-south transportation corridor connecting Brazoria, Fort Bend and Waller counties with the Dallas-Fort Worth region, home to the nation's largest inland port. The proposed highway would serve as an additional hurricane evacuation route while providing an alternative path for freight traffic, helping relieve congestion on existing highways.
When and Where Are the Highway 36A North Public Meetings?
Residents may attend either public meeting:
Tuesday, July 14
- 5-7 p.m.
- Royal Early Childhood Center Gymnasium
- 2505 Durkin Road
- Brookshire
Thursday, July 16
- 5-7 p.m.
- Waller County Fairgrounds – Edmonds Hall
- 21988 FM 359
- Hempstead
The same presentation will be available online beginning at 5 p.m. July 14, allowing residents to review project information and submit comments electronically.
Written comments will be accepted through July 31.