[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6080532,"mediaKeyId","2946405-4457bc432601cd712c86660a009368fd","parentId",2946405,"title","Port Houston proposes phased 'Southern Access Road' and readies rail spur; residents press for faster truck relief","audioSeconds",378,"startMs",3757000,"endMs",4135000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2946405-4457bc432601cd712c86660a009368fd&start=3757&end=4135","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2946405-4457bc432601cd712c86660a009368fd/thumbnail_3757000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6080532/Seabrook/Harris-County/Texas/Port-Houston-proposes-phased-Southern-Access-Road-and-readies-rail-spur-residents-press-for-faster-truck-relief","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080532-3d6927230c83045278e735200ed9af70/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162072&Signature=JyMD4wpw0gAOfSmUxLHoVMiZGcrfsVuBawINvecPqgAgmbAx6TUTZdDAPZ41iMAOO1OyxlYMPSSiKvZxUer-SPC8Ns0aKOu2rhQJLxASAdAQOVHCB36RimOkpbAS8T-32vGi43DLs35mb34xomlxpWXjK0TArYLGfjF9WmKNWvtYQqbvJyAoA2pcKBj6vCfAGTb1FCNd4R2KihayhAvcMZ0VXiJTKStRJZaVryf3xJwLmMEXZ~T8kuzsi8s264EJWLa4VaYpQTMHNRsXZovKvyewQ8aeIY4IXFxRvPKBKhqC7lT666-S3xcIMVIZWMkLNsVo~3xGjTviWlG4gVkk3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Seabrook, Texas","date","2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","article","Port Houston officials told Seabrook residents that the authority is advancing a multi‑phase Southern Access Road to provide a second access point to the Bayport complex and ease truck congestion at the existing single‑entry gate. The port also said a rail spur serving a new resin packaging facility is nearing completion and expected to enter service soon.

Why it matters: The Bayport terminals generate high truck volumes. Residents and elected officials pressed the port and TxDOT for faster relief, arguing that partial solutions could shift truck traffic onto local streets unless direct connectors or flyovers are built.

Plan and schedule: \"Design completing at the end of the year. We hope for the first phase, to begin as early as, you know, first of 26,\" said Ryan Mariacher, Port Houston operations division. Port staff said the road will be built in phases to accelerate early relief while longer‑term direct connectors or flyovers would require regional planning and funding and could take a decade or more to deliver.

Rail spur and operations: Port staff said the rail spur work remaining is minor signaling, pavement and striping, and that a terminal tenant — a resin packaging warehouse — expects to be operating by the end of the year. Port representatives said the rail work includes storage tracks to reduce at‑grade switching at public crossings and that they will pursue a Federal Railroad Administration quiet‑zone designation for the public crossings that already exist on the feeder and Old 146.

Truck processing and congestion management: Residents asked why backups extend onto 146 when much of the delay appears to be at the port gate. Port officials described operational changes already made, including a mandatory appointment system and technology upgrades that raised pre‑advised truck transactions from under 10% to roughly 60–80%, which the port said reduced gate processing times and yard dwell. \"We're very focused on not moving the bottleneck,\" said Jordan Frisby, Director of Technical and Business Analytics, Port Houston. The port said it also is working with industry partners to shift arrivals and expand hours of operation.

Funding and regional coordination: Staff said funding for direct connectors or flyovers would require regional support through the Houston‑Galveston Area Council (HGAC) and other partners. Port and residents differ on sequencing — some residents urged building grade‑separated flyovers first — while the port said it must pursue shorter, fundable phases first to deliver relief more quickly.

Community concerns: Residents urged stronger enforcement of truck speed and lane rules on 146, requested more aggressive noise mitigation and landscaping, and asked the port to press trucking partners to limit use of engine compression brakes (Jake brakes) and other avoidable noise. Port staff said they would carry those requests to industry partners and to the rail operators.

Next steps: Port Houston will complete 30% design work and return for additional public feedback. The authority and TxDOT will coordinate project phasing and regional funding requests; the port will continue to pursue quiet‑zone designation and finalize the rail spur punchlist so tenant operations can begin.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Seabrook, Texas Town Hall Meeting - March 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Port Houston presented a phased Southern Access Road and a near‑complete rail spur to Bayport, aiming to add a second entry and ease truck congestion; the port seeks 30% design completion by year‑end and hopes to begin a first phase as early as 2026.","taxTitle","Seabrook, Harris County, Texas","taxId",69500,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6080537,"TxDOT outlines multi‑year 146 expansion at Red Bluff; residents push for new noise study",647,516000,1163000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2946405-4457bc432601cd712c86660a009368fd&start=516&end=1163","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2946405-4457bc432601cd712c86660a009368fd/thumbnail_516000.jpg","/articles/6080537/Seabrook/Harris-County/Texas/TxDOT-outlines-multiyear-146-expansion-at-Red-Bluff-residents-push-for-new-noise-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080537-ccc3efb59377e604e309f80f9d7541b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162072&Signature=cb5-8MnKeKxizSubTHocxh~PwBqOBs6GakA5iZdqa0c3VLCxh9IQNhwN-P~UDz4LtRU7ToX6jR4Kdvx3K1q~L565JiSTHO1fXoeRjuCvcs8So2~l2FkrvuXwSwQaOtZtNWR~179WUqe2aowU9JvBFdSgqxK8I5EEOp36tEy1ShZS-VGFDSkKrkdZd0jAek4S3OHNXtIPynQDU89vYosgVbuvNDeF4-n5GPk3jqGhbnz-xeppjwC-pkVcSK5lCzPi4GZmt0tQ~KeZxmHI5j85t6eZs~-415l-U7vGkVnpGXXBnYZyY7nNlVrBxkwgDyQ2wEDmujaSOqBudjPxsEWg3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","TxDOT engineers at a Seabrook town hall on Oct. 12 outlined ongoing work to widen State Highway 146 from Red Bluff to Spencer and described plans and timelines for the Red Bluff overpass and adjacent feeder roads. The agency said the overpass work is expected to be structurally complete in June or July 2025 and that the larger project — about 5.8 miles — began in the first quarter of 2022 and is projected to finish in the third quarter of 2028.

Why it matters: The work will change local access patterns and has prompted persistent concerns from neighborhoods such as Lake Cove about traffic noise and long detours while ramps are reconfigured.

TxDOT’s Southeast area engineers said the project includes widening multiple overpasses, full structural replacement of several bridges and constructing two one‑direction frontage roads with a shared pedestrian and bike path. \"Widening of the overpasses is gonna be over the Red Bluff, Shore Acre Boulevard and ... the structure itself will be completed in a few months,\" said Jamal Elahi, Southeast Harris Area Engineer, TxDOT. He said the northbound feeder road work was about 75% complete at the time of the meeting and that the existing southbound feeder currently operates as a two‑way and will remain so for roughly two more years before becoming a dedicated southbound roadway.

TxDOT also described changes to ramps at Red Bluff: the existing southbound exit to Red Bluff will be shifted north near Gion in the later stages of the project; a northbound on‑ramp from Red Bluff will remain open until the northbound feeder is finished.

Old Highway 146 intersection: City and TxDOT staff said intersection reconstruction at Old Highway 146 (the Red Bluff/Old 146 intersection) remains planned but is delayed while utility relocations are completed and while TxDOT evaluates funding paths. TxDOT said options include a change order to the current CSJ (control‑section job) or packaging the work into a new CSJ depending on contractor pricing and funding availability. \"If we close the whole thing, it gets done fairly quickly. But if it becomes more of an access issue, then we can certainly look into building it half and half,\" a TxDOT project manager said.

Noise and sound‑wall debate: Multiple residents urged TxDOT and the city to order a new noise study, saying a 2013 study predated major changes — including higher posted speeds and completed overpasses — and no longer reflects current conditions. \"We need another sound study,\" said Ivy Buskey of Lake Cove HOA, noting about 507 homes there. Several other residents described loud overnight and early‑morning traffic noise.

TxDOT staff said the environmental and sound analyses for this project were completed in the project’s early planning phase and that, according to their current environmental review, additional sound walls were not warranted for large stretches of the corridor. \"The sound study did not warrant that,\" said David Ballard, TxDOT Southeast Harris area office. TxDOT representatives said staff had exchanged emails with citizens and with the agency’s environmental section and would pass community requests up the chain but that additional studies or mitigation above what is contained in the project would have to be escalated for separate funding or added project scope.

Community requests and city coordination: City staff acknowledged the public’s frustration with communication and said they had asked TxDOT to review residents’ concerns. \"If you send us that request we will then respond back to you directly,\" a TxDOT representative said when asked how citizens could push for a new study. Several residents asked the city and TxDOT to press regional decisionmakers and the Houston‑Galveston Area Council for expedited funding and to revisit mitigation such as sound walls. No formal commitments to a new, post‑construction noise study were made during the meeting.

What remains unresolved: Project timing for the Old 146 intersection depends on contractor pricing and funding decisions; the exact duration of some ramp closures was estimated in years rather than months; and TxDOT maintained that the current environmental record does not support additional corridor‑wide sound walls without new analyses or added scope.

Next steps: TxDOT said it will continue construction on the overpass area and will return pricing for the Old 146 work; the city said it would pass community concerns to agency leadership and look for higher‑level escalation if necessary.

","TxDOT engineers described a 5.8‑mile widening and reconstruction of State Highway 146 from Red Bluff to Spencer, saying the Red Bluff overpass should be structurally complete by June or July 2025 while the full project is expected to finish in the third quarter of 2028.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6080521,"Seabrook staff seek design alternatives for Pine Gully Pier after bids exceed estimates",76,8444000,8520000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2946405-4457bc432601cd712c86660a009368fd&start=8444&end=8520","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2946405-4457bc432601cd712c86660a009368fd/thumbnail_8444000.jpg","/articles/6080521/Seabrook/Harris-County/Texas/Seabrook-staff-seek-design-alternatives-for-Pine-Gully-Pier-after-bids-exceed-estimates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080521-3688bb2aff5acc24f26ba3b59d4b3ccd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162072&Signature=EpvF2tkKgcTpOR-rfG4SOFtlAucdXg8muOXAREEYkpD89My2LF0yeryQOGegUmiwTW-oGQVjyH1Ho5lvU6PH0jSYJL1FA2R393lB~V9bqvVsGcgnvKNkcapuzpn5f-6uBQWxhFNe1am26toHTt6zWdJk7dc9Z3m73mXmtytaJfzm0wxCra~xa2aKWL-91-BPAxckrRSoHqgyNIBUQDTMiRpQWL6soDv4gSRBk2GRU4UoLSNWV6TuV~AtPq~fqBK3r~n0VW7mpYlMXst-gEwd2gHACE7EjxLKZdtkLHcWvIbIU6pN63TGBb~swjazJcCDVnYgskGOkrkIiCfsYcei2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff updated the town hall that bids for the Pine Gully Pier replacement came in above the city’s engineer estimates and that the project is being redesigned to reduce cost and to seek additional grant funding.

Why it matters: Pine Gully Pier is a municipal recreational and shoreline asset; the city has existing grant awards but still needs to close a funding gap to proceed with construction.

Status: Staff said council approved a design contract in 2022, the initial bid packages exceeded engineers’ estimates (the current design bid package was described as costing over $2,000,000) and the city is preparing alternate designs and pursuing new grant rounds for 2025. Staff said they will return to council with revised scope and cost estimates once the alternatives are priced.

Next steps: City staff will work with the contractor on alternate design options, pursue additional grant funding, and present revised designs and financing options to council for direction.

","City staff said bids for rebuilding Pine Gully Pier came back higher than expected; the project design is being revised and additional grant applications are pending. Council previously approved a design contract in 2022; staff said they have applied for additional grant funding and will return to council with alternate",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6080526,"TxDOT says boat‑ramp replacement design complete; residents say parking plan is inadequate",108,7643000,7751000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2946405-4457bc432601cd712c86660a009368fd&start=7643&end=7751","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2946405-4457bc432601cd712c86660a009368fd/thumbnail_7643000.jpg","/articles/6080526/Seabrook/Harris-County/Texas/TxDOT-says-boatramp-replacement-design-complete-residents-say-parking-plan-is-inadequate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6080526-14e81eff09acb78a30e6f7364e198c2c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162072&Signature=a3YCcjzuBMz~wokmnMABUJptnn2Y~cLGOF-w2~NbNwyFPIwNuLi2tR-EtHAYFPhSMbcK4weQGT7u15ehSu0uHBjdYrr0AAe8fHk8m-oA-wUjIl5M0AeTadKXx8ZW5E7hnBCbW~zuOlXj9qEqxMHzKRoBYOvfkxykz8q2zTP9mwW22Ble-mWr6Lxh5A7xyHCGdOzOqRkAGrgKfBoKRMcpKQaUrWu1iAW4GNbcfg~Rsh-DXiM5ycjalRwWX5P7hTfGJwycaGdx4x8wtLNe1LO2vKVHiJKTJrGXYy8a73TudYXeMGjMnN3pt1p-If74dMaO~lsF37TC~UH~NaPooQy2hA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","TxDOT representatives and city staff updated Seabrook residents on a Texas Department of Transportation project to replace a boat ramp under the SH‑146 bridge and to restore public boating access. TxDOT said the replacement design is complete, permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been applied for, and the target construction date is early 2027.

Why it matters: The former boat ramp had more pull‑through parking and staging for trailered boats than the current proposed design; residents and frequent boaters told council and TxDOT the new layout would be insufficient for typical weekend use.

Design and permits: City staff said the TxDOT consultants produced a 100% design and that Army Corps permits are in process. \"All the permits for the Army Corps of Engineers has been applied for, the design is ready,\" city staff said.

Public concerns about parking and maneuvering: Several speakers said the proposed parking count and stall geometry will not accommodate typical trailers and will reduce weekend access. One resident who counted existing pull‑through spots said the previous ramp provided roughly 30 pull‑through spaces and argued that the new layout will be far too small. TxDOT staff said columns and piling supporting the widened bridge limit the pallet of available parking area and turning radii; as a result, the new design provides individual stalls rather than long pull‑through lanes. \"If you get a bigger boat and you're trying to park in there, you're not going to get out,\" a TxDOT official said, explaining safety and turning‑radius constraints.

Next steps: City staff said they and TxDOT will continue final permitting and schedule work toward the 2027 target. Council and residents requested further review of parking and staging alternatives; TxDOT said it will revisit the constraints but noted that the current project footprint is limited by bridge piers and other structural elements.

","TxDOT told the town hall its design for a replacement boat ramp under the 146 bridge is complete and Army Corps of Engineers permits have been applied for; the city and TxDOT said construction is targeting early 2027. Multiple residents and boaters said the proposed parking and launch staging are too small and urged TxDOT and the city to revisit","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Port Houston proposes phased 'Southern Access Road' and readies rail spur; residents press for faster truck relief

TxDOT outlines multi‑year 146 expansion at Red Bluff; residents push for new noise study

Seabrook staff seek design alternatives for Pine Gully Pier after bids exceed estimates

TxDOT says boat‑ramp replacement design complete; residents say parking plan is inadequate