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The Katy Freeway extends 40 miles from the Central Business District of Houston west to the Brazos River. Constructed from 1960 to 1968, it was originally designed to carry
79,200 vehicles per day with a pavement life of 20 years before major reconstruction would be required. The Katy Freeway reconstruction program encompasses the middle 20-mile section from its intersection with Interstate 610 to the
City of Katy.
Severe Congestion
Now, more than 30 years later, the freeway carries over 207,000 vehicles per day. There was congestion for 11 hours each day, not just at conventional peak hours. There is
even congestion for long periods during the weekends.
Key Trade Corridor Bottleneck
The traffic volumes and pavement deterioration are not only a deterrent to conducting business in the immediate Houston area, but also across the region, state and nation.
The Katy Freeway has the highest daily truck volumes of any roadway in the state of Texas. Traffic generated from six radial highways, nine employment centers, the Port of
Houston, and through truck traffic are all compressed into three lanes in each direction.
Obsolete Design
Since this section of Interstate 10 was built more than 30 years ago, when Houston was a much smaller city, the freeway design has become obsolete. The design used by the
Highway Department for Interstate 10 is referred to as a "Rural Freeway Design," because 30 years ago this was a rural area. This rural design critically underserves an exploding urban population, the results of traffic demand.
Deteriorated Pavement
The pavement on the Katy Freeway is now 30 to 40 years old. Maintenance costs are reaching $7.9 million per year. That’s $197,500 per mile, almost four times the normal
maintenance cost of $50,000 per mile, just to maintain the roadway, and these costs are continuously increasing.
Every three years, TxDOT is forced to add an asphalt overlay at a cost of $5 million.
Community Consensus
The Texas Department of Transportation, after more than 15 years of discussion, planning, and public meetings with businesses, community members and elected officials, has
developed a plan, with widespread business and community support, to address the need for an improved Katy Freeway.
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