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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — StopTxDotI45, a local group, is urging the City of Houston to refrain from selling a portion of land near downtown intended for TxDOT’s I-45 expansion project.
Next week, the city council will decide whether to sell 2.99 acres along White Oak Bayou to TxDOT for $261,051.00.
This stretch of the bayou includes trails and sits across from the University of Houston-Downtown near Milam and Commerce.
Chloe Cook, a member of Stop TxDotI45, told ABC13 that the entire project is detrimental to Houston.
“There are numerous downsides to urban freeway expansion and very few benefits for almost everyone,” she said.
TxDOT has emphasized mobility improvements as the primary goal of the $9 billion project, which has faced years of planning, design, protests, and even a lawsuit from Harris County.
They announced plans to begin construction in November.
Cook expressed concerns that the land in question would suffer from having multiple freeway lanes built over it.
“There’s simply no way to deny that it will impact wildlife, the trail user experience, or worsen air quality,” Cook stated.
While TxDOT’s website claims the expansion will enhance bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, they did not address specific questions about this area at the time of publication.
The city council was originally set to vote on the sale this week but postponed it to allow District H Councilman Mario Castillo to seek further clarification from TxDOT about the project.
The vote is now scheduled for next Wednesday.