Upgrading Texas 6 a priority, says official

By HELEN ERIKSEN
CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT
Transportation enhancements may soon be in store for commuters and businesses that use a 14.2-mile stretch of Texas 6, north of the Katy Freeway.
A study of transportation initiatives under review will address access management improvements to the northern section of Texas 6, according to J. Michael Heath, president of Alliance Transportation.
The project limits are Texas 6 from north of Interstate-10 at Park Row to Texas 6/FM 1960 and Mills Road; and FM 529 from Greenhouse Road to U.S. 290.
Heath talked to members of the Katy Area Economic Development Council on Dec. 8 about the ongoing SH6 Access Management Studies. He said the scope will cover design, engineering, conducting an environmental review, construction, and final implementation.
The corridor is pretty much saturated it is handling as much traffic as it possibly can during this time."
Transportation officials are conducting a series of public hearings to get input on the study.
Two meetings are scheduled to discuss the planning process. One hearing will be held 6 to 8:30 p.m. March 4 at Copperfield Church, 8350 Texas 6 N., to discuss proposed solutions. A second meeting will be held at the same time and location on May 20 to consider recommended solutions. More information about the study is available at wwwsh6mobility.com.
Alliance, which works on transportation projects throughout the Houston area, is partnering with Harris County, the Texas Department of Transportation, the city of Houston, Metro and the Houston-Galveston Area Council to improve the traffic flow and safety margin along clogged areas of Texas 6.
The 14-mile stretch has 77 intersections, 33 signals and 462 driveways," Heath said. Thousands of businesses are located along the corridor and about 50,000 vehicles access it daily."
The volume of traffic and the high number of driveways with access to the highway have resulted in an increase in crashes, Heath said.
The results of the studies will be used to develop a recommendation for transportation system improvements.