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Mobility Infrastructure
Houston’s location in the south-central U.S. strategically places it equidistant from the nation’s major population centers – New York (1,631 miles) and Los Angeles (1,550 miles). Connection to major national and international locations is facilitated through Houston’s excellent transportation infrastructure, which includes the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport, Ellington Field, Port Houston and the well-integrated mainline railroads and trucking system serving the area.
In the Houston nine-county MSA, an extensive highway system spans 1,798 centerline miles. The Grand Parkway’s extension linking Hwy 290 to I-45 and I-45 to Hwy 59 - segments F-1, F-2 and G on the map to the right - opened to traffic in the first quarter of 2016, adding 38 miles of tolled roadway. Once the entire project is completed, the Grand Parkway will mark Houston’s third outer loop, improving Houston’s traffic flow immensely and thus allowing more flexibility when deciding where to work and where to live. Segments H, I-1 and I-2B are next up for expansion, with construction expected to be completed in 2021.
| STREET | FROM | TO | PROJECT DESCRIPTION | TOTAL | EST. DATE OF COMPLETION |
| US 290 | IH 610 | Mueschke Rd | Widen mainlanes and HOV lane through 13 separate projects | $4.7 billion | 2019 |
| Gulf Freeway @ IH 610 | IH 610 E | IH 45 N | Construct direct connector from IH 610 eastbound to I 45 Northbound | $44.2 million | October 2023 |
| Pierce Elevated | IH 10 | I 69 | Remove existing Pierce Elevated and construct parkway connectors into CBD | $158.1 million | TBD, planning stage |
| Highway 288 | US 59 Interchange | Pearland | Add toll lanes, 8 direct connectors at Beltway and I-610 interchanges | $815 million | Spring 2019 |
| Post Oak Blvd | I-610 | Richmond Ave | Reconstruct Post Oak Blvd to include dedicated bus lanes | $196 million | Spring/Summer 2019 |
| Gulf Freeway, Galveston Co | Hwy 96 | Deats Rd | Widen to 8 main lanes and 2 two-lane frontage roads | $121.7 million | November 2021 |
| North Freeway, Harris Co | Crosstimbers | Airline | Reconstruct frontage roads | $6.3 million | TBD |
| US 59, Fort Bend Co | Hwy 99 | FM 2919 | Widen to 6 main lanes and two frontage road lanes through separate projects | $18.6 to $66 million | Late 2020 |
| I-610 at I-69 | I-610 | I-610 | Reconstruct IH 610 main lane bridge within the interchange at US 59 S | $46.7 million | TBD, bidding stage |
| Highway 225, Harris Co | Beltway 8 | Battleground Rd | Improve illumination | $5.1 million | TBD, planning stage |
This Houston Mobility Infrastructure overview is part of the annual 2019 Houston Economic Outlook.
Sections covered in the full report include:
Population Growth | Employment Sector | Business Climate | Global Energy Capital | Petrochemical & Plastics Industry | Port Houston | NASA/Johnson Space Center | Mobility Infrastructure | Airport System | Texas Medical Center | Biosciences & Biotechnology
