TxDOT outlines timeline for widening projects, unveils new‑location 36A North plan

Texas Department of Transportation officials gave the Brookshire City Council an update Wednesday on multiple highway projects in Waller County, including nine widening projects and a new‑location corridor called 36A North.

"Currently, we have 9 widening projects and 1 new location project," said Sue Tice, a TxDOT project manager in the Houston District. She said the widening projects include sections of FM 1488, U.S. 290, FM 529, SH 359, I‑10 and SH 1489. The three projects slated to reach construction the soonest are I‑10 from SH‑359 to Mason Road (a widening that will add managed lanes and general‑purpose lanes), FM‑529 between Grand Parkway and FM‑362, and U.S. 90, which TxDOT described as a 2‑to‑4 lane widening that will add drainage and sidewalks.

TxDOT gave target years for construction starts: I‑10 construction is expected in 2028 with associated frontage road work starting in 2029; FM‑529 and its associated work is scheduled around 2029; U.S. 90 is slated to start in about 2032. Tice said the agency is conscious of keeping major projects separated: "We are very conscious that there's a need to keep mobility going through the area. So, I‑10 and U.S. 90 wouldn't be under construction at the same time."

Tice also described the 36A North project, a proposed new‑location roadway running roughly from I‑10 to U.S. 290 near Hempstead. She said preliminary work is in the pre‑environmental process and that the corridor right‑of‑way is expected to be two lanes in each direction with drainage and a shared‑use path; frontage roads could be added later by another party. A first public meeting to show initial alternatives is expected in early 2026. Tice cautioned the project is not funded for construction and estimated a possible construction timeframe of 2037 or later.

The presentation framed the new corridor as addressing north–south connectivity in Waller County and noted the route could also aid hurricane evacuation. TxDOT staff on the panel included Jeff English and Stefan Gage from the Houston District.

Why this matters: The projects named are major capacity and safety investments that will affect traffic patterns, access and development timing across Brookshire and Waller County. The 36A North corridor, in particular, would create a new through route that planners say would improve mobility but will not be built without future funding and further environmental review.

TxDOT said options for the 36A North alignment would be unveiled to the public in early 2026 and that funding and final designs will determine the ultimate schedule for construction.