Transportation Project Questionnaire

Major Projects Questionnaire

Project Information

Agency Name	TxDOT Houston District
Project Title	IH 610 E Ship Channel Bridge
Facility/Street/Highway	IH 610 E
Limits	From N of Mississippi St to S of SH 225
Description	RECONSTRUCT AND WIDEN FROM 8 TO 14 LANE (ADD 2 GENERAL PURPOSE LANES AND 4 MANAGED LANES) AND RAISE SHIP CHANNEL BRIDGE
Timeframe	Medium Term (6-10 Years)
Estimated Cost	$2,400,000,000.00

Regional Transportation Plan Goals

1. Please provide narrative describing how the proposed project supports all goals established in the Regional Transportation Plan (2045 RTP).

[1] Improve Safety: This project will provide additional capacity to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion. Raising the channel bridge will reduce the potential for ships to strike the bridge. [2] Achieve & Maintain State of Good Repair: In a widening/reconstruction project, old pavement is removed, and new pavement is constructed, thus increasing the state of good repair. This project will replace the existing bridge with one in a improved state of repair. [3] Move People and Goods Reliably and Efficiently: This project will reduce congestion and reduce resulting crashes, increasing the reliability of the facility. This channel crossing is vital for the Port of Houston and many nearby industrial plants to use to move goods and have employees come to work. [4] Strengthen Regional Economic Competitiveness: This project will reduce congestion and resulting crashes, increasing the truck travel time reliability of the facility, boosting regional and economic competitiveness. This channel crossing is vital for the Port of Houston (Ships wise and Trucks wise) and many nearby industrial plants to use to move goods. [5] Conserve and Protect Natural and Cultural Resources: This project will include improved drainage, which will benefit the natural resources abutting the facility. This project will reduce emissions caused by idling and congestion.

Regional Significance

1. Is the project a Roadway Project or a Transit Project?

Roadway

1a. For Roadway projects, this project is located on a facility functionally classified as a:

Principal Arterial or Higher Functional Class

Potential Crash Reductions

1. What is the existing fatality crash rate at the project location? Regional crash data is available online at crash data viewer. H-GAC staff will provide assistance in calculating the crash rates upon request.

1.353

2. What is the existing serious injury crash rate at the project location? Regional crash data is available online at crash data viewer. H-GAC staff will provide assistance in calculating the crash rates upon request.

3.519

3. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project reduces expected fatality and serious injury crashes. Narrative must include specific improvements (work types) included in the project scope. Crash reduction factors associated with specific work types can be found in the safety benefits calculation template. H-GAC staff can provide assistance in gathering the crash reduction factors upon request.

Crash rates for this segment are per 100 million VMT. The fatality rate is 1.353, higher than the regional average (1.23), and the serious injury rate is 3.519, lower than the regional average (6.18). The reconstruction and widening of the roadway from an existing eight-lane to a fourteen-lane roadway will provide additional capacity to the roadway and reduce primary and secondary crashes caused by congestion. The consolidated crash reduction factor for this project is 349%, as a result of installing sidewalks, improving the horizontal alignment, improving the vertical alignment, widening paved shoulders (to > 5ft), widening the bridge, constructing an interchange, and providing additional travel lanes. For IH 610 E, approximately 31% of the roadway limits within the PEL is above the statewide average crash rate for Urban Interstates with some areas being over double the statewide average south of the IH 610 E and SH 225 interchange. The projects that result from the PEL Recommendation will improve safety by reconstructing the corridor to current design standards allowing for improved ramp configurations, increased vertical clearances, (Work Codes 506 and 505, CRF 55 & 50), and wider shoulders (Work Code 536, CRF 31). In addition, the low vertical clearance of the IH 610 E Ship Channel bridge (Sidney Sherman Bridge) has been a contributing factor to ship-bridge collisions. Project 1085, as part of the PEL Recommendation, consists of reconstructing, widening (Work Code 218, CRF 55), and raising the bridge (Work Code 505, CRF 50) which will aid in preventing costly and disruptive ship-bridge collisions in addition to crashes. The reconstruction of the IH 610 E Ship Channel Bridge will also include reconstructing the SH 225 and IH 610 E Interchange (Work Code 515, CRF 65) to current standards.

Potential Congestion Reductions

1. Is the project located on a facility listed on Texas 100 most congested roads list?

Yes

1a. If yes, please provide link to the list.

Rank #53, https://www.txdot.gov/apps/statewide_mapping/StatewidePlanningMap.html (Top 100 Layer)

2. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project reduces congestion. Narrative must include specific improvements (work types) included in the project scope.

Level of Service (LOS) is a measure of moving vehicles and goods reliably and efficiently. LOS for the existing facilities within the PEL Study limits indicate that overall, the freeway main lanes are operating at LOS D or better during the peak hours. However, there are several segments, specifically segments on/near IH 610 E, that are currently operating at LOS E or F, indicating that these segments are over capacity and require improvements. For the frontage roads, a considerable number of intersections along IH 610 E near IH 45 S are experiencing significant delays, with an LOS F. Traffic operations are expected to worsen by year 2045 based on the projected 52% increase in population in the study area. It is projected that by the year 2045 almost all IH 610 E will operate at unacceptable LOS E/F during the AM and PM peak hour in both directions. The projects that result from the PEL Recommendation indicate that by 2045, would improve the congestion throughout IH 610 E to LOS D or better with the addition of the elevated structure (Work Code 541, CRF 30). In addition, all major roadways within the PEL Study Limits are part of the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS) which moves many goods locally, regionally, and nationally. All the roadways within the PEL Study Limits are listed as part of TTI’s 2022 Top 100 most truck congested roadways. Numerous freight generators are located along/nearby the study limits, including but not limited to Port Houston, the refineries along Clinton Drive, Barbours Cut Container Terminal, and the Bayport Container Terminal with daily truck traffic volumes ranging from 16%-26% of the traffic utilizing the main lanes. The projects that result from the PEL Recommendation will include elevated structures (Work Code 541, CRF 30) that will add capacity and provide a means for express travel thus moving goods more efficiently from these economic generators.

Connectivity to Jobs, Medical Facilities, and Activity Centers

1. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to jobs within a 1/4 mile buffer of the project location?

Yes

1a. Please provide the number of jobs located within 1/4 mile distance of the project.

4,382

2. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to a medical facility within a 1/4 mile buffer of the project location?

3. Does the proposed project improve or provide new connectivity to an activity center within a 1/4 mile buffer of the project location?

Yes

4. Provide narrative describing how proposed project improves or provides new connectivity to jobs, medical facilities, and activity centers.

This bridge project connects both sides of the Ship Channel. Many jobs are dependant on this bridge remaining operational whether it be freight movement or commuters going to nearby chemical plants/refineries on the other side of the ship channel. The Port of Houston has docks nearby this bridge providing for thousands of jobs not just in this region but also contribute to the economy of the Texas and the United States.

State of Good Repair

1. What is the age of the facility where proposed project is located?

51 years

2. What is the existing condition of the facility.

Poor

3. Please explain how the project improves state of good repair and extends the service life of the facility.

The worst pavement on the project segment is in Poor condition according to TxDOT and FHWA guidelines. The project includes reconstruction of the roadway which will lead to an improvement in the state of good repair and extend the service life of the facility. The segment contains many bridges in Fair condition, with a condition score of 5 or 6. The worst bridge on this project segment was built in 1973. It is rated as being in Poor condition overall, with a superstructure condition score of 4, substructure condition score of 5, and a deck condition score of 6. In a widening/reconstruction project like this project, pavement is removed and new pavement is constructed, thus increasing the state of good repair and extending the service life of the facility.

Biking and Walking Conditions

1. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project improves walking and biking conditions. Within the narrative, please explain if the proposed project scope includes construction of new or improve existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure on project facility or in the vicinity of the project.

Sidewalks/shared use paths will be installed on frontage roads where right of way width will allow per the SH 225/IH 610 E PEL Study. Shared use paths provide a low-stress experience for active transportation users, increasing user safety and health while improving regional connectivity. The addition of sidewalks will create transportation alternatives and allow pedestrians greater access to services and improve quality of life.

Impacts to Vulnerable Populations

1. Please enter the Low-Income household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

12,714

2. Please enter the Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Minorities household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

8,060

3. Please enter the Household Population Under Poverty located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

2,401

4. Please enter the Disabled Persons household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

1,025

5. Please enter the Elderly Persons household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

452

6. Please enter the Limited English Proficiency household population located within 1/4 buffer of the project location. H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

1,691

7. What is the average Livable Center Need Index within 1/4 buffer of the project location? H-GAC staff can assist in gathering the data.

72.20

8. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project provides benefits to vulnerable populations (benefits include safety improvements, or construction or improvements to ped/bike facilities, or improvements to transit stops.

The area surrounding the project segment has a higher low-income population (27.63%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a higher minority population (92.74%) as compared to the regional average of 65% minority. Because of its central location in the regional network, the project will produce improvements in mobility and connectivity for vulnerable populations as well as connectivity to schools, medical facilities, and social services for the regional population. As a result of the improvement, vulnerable populations will have increased resilience and evacuation capacity in the event of hazards. According to HGAC’s Regional Resilience Tool, the project segment sits on a facility that is rated as having high vulnerability to flooding and is ranked as moderate criticality for accessing key facilities. Future managed lanes could be used by METRO or Harris County Transit to get workers to and from the area.

9. Please provide a narrative explaining how the proposed project avoids or mitigates adverse effects to vulnerable populations. List of adverse effects was provided in detailed criteria document.

The area surrounding the project segment has a higher low-income population (27.63%) as compared to the regional average of 13.5%. The area surrounding the project segment has a higher minority population (92.74%) as compared to the regional average of 65% minority. . TxDOT’s Environmental Process is designed to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Executive Order on Environmental Justice. Standard practice is to implement projects that provide user safety and operational efficiency while taking into account environmental quality and impacts to surrounding communities. In practice this means identifying and assessing potential project impacts, then proposing measures to avoid, minimize and/or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse effects to Environmental Justice Populations. For example, the project will improve drainage to ATLAS-14 standards, which will mitigate impacts from added capacity to vulnerable populations. A noise analysis will be conducted as part of the NEPA process to consider if sound walls will be needed or not along the corridor.

Hurricane Evacuation Route

1. Is the proposed project located on a facility identified as a hurricane evacuation route in any regional or local plans?

1a. If no, is the proposed project located on a facility that functions as an alternative to an evacuation route?

Yes

1a-i. If yes, explain.

IH 610 E is 1 of 3 large routes crossing over the Buffalo Bayou (Others being BW 8 and SH 146) that connects to IH 10 E directly which is classified as a State Evacuation route.