HOUSTON, TX — Texas Transportation Commission Commissioner Steve Alvis joined Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Houston District officials for a ceremonial groundbreaking marking the start of reconstruction of a segment of I-10 that stretches over White Oak Bayou. The project’s goal is to lift this segment of freeway above the 100-year floodplain.
The groundbreaking took place beneath the Interstate 10 overpass at Studemont Street, where work on the project is beginning.
The project stretches 1.8 miles from Heights Boulevard to the I-45 direct connector and includes reconstruction of I-10 mainlanes, the I-10 HOV lanes, and the Houston Avenue Bridge. The project is critical to bring this portion of I-10 within compliance of state and federal flood mitigation standards to ensure the freeway is passable during major storm events in the Houston area.
The project was determined to be a high-priority because, since 1992, this portion of I-10 has flooded 10 times. Interstate 10 is the fourth most heavily traveled multi-state corridor in the United States and provides a key supply route for goods, services, energy services equipment, and military logistics.
“Texas prides itself as being the best state in the country to do business," Executive Director Marc Williams said. "At TxDOT, staff throughout the state work hard every day to keep our roadways safe and less congested so that products and people can move quickly to keep the Texas economy booming.”
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“I-10 is a critical corridor for the Houston region, Texas, and the nation," Alvis added. "Lack of mobility on I-10 threatens the economic livelihood of our cities and state. Improvements to this area are desperately needed due to population and employment growth, which have caused increased congestion in the area and closures during major storm events.”
According to Glenn Allbritton, Houston’s District Engineer, the state has “over 80,700 centerline miles of highways, 55,000 bridges, and 500 million daily vehicle miles of travel. Texas is home to the most extensive and heavily used state transportation system in the nation. It takes a vision to manage, maintain, and improve this transportation system.”
Assistant Houston District Engineer Varuna Singh highlighted the importance of the public’s role in the effort to make the project more effective.
“Beyond elevating the mainlanes, we will improve resiliency by adding a 26-acre detention pond beneath the elevated lanes,” Singh said. “The location of the detention pond is an improvement to the original design recommended through public input.”
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Houston Mayor John Whitmire acknowledged the importance of the project and TxDOT’s critical role in advancing regional stormwater resiliency.
“This is just one of several TxDOT initiatives tackling flooding challenges," he said. "The recently launched I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project is another significant effort, designed to address flood prevention east of downtown. Once completed, this project will enhance flood mitigation for communities like Independence Heights, helping to safeguard them against future storms."
The project will provide additional amenities that support daily multi-modal transportation opportunity. It will feature a 2-mile-long, 10-foot-wide shared-use path along the south side of White Oak Bayou, connecting to the existing trail system. This enhanced pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure will connect with the Houston Avenue Bridge and provide additional community connectivity from Houston’s west side to the north side.
At a cost of $407 million, the I-10 White Oak Bayou Reconstruction and Elevation Project is estimated to take about four years to complete. The project includes $90.5 million in funding from the Texas Clear Lanes initiative, which prioritizes projects considered critical to the needs of the state’s most heavily populated cities. Webber LLC is the primary contractor for this project.
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The project requires an increase in right of way but does not affect any residential and non-residential structures.
