Roads, Roads and More Roads

ANAHUAC — Last week, locals were able to voice their ideas and concerns about future plans for Chambers County roadways at the final thoroughfare plan meeting. 

The last public meeting for the Chambers County Thoroughfare Plan was held on Oct. 22, but locals can still provide opinions on potential roadways. 

Government representatives, along with Houston-Galveston Area Council Project Manager Carlene Mullins and representatives from engineering consultant company Kimley-Horn, were in attendance. 

Ryan Eurek, Kimley-Horn project manager, presented the plan to attendees, and Jenny Lai, Kimley-Horn deputy project manager, assisted in answering questions. 

The roadway plan consists of 50 new connections and extensions for current roads, both in rural and urban areas within the county. 

The plan is a long-term, malleable plan with the purpose of preserving right-of-way for future roadway construction. The roadways within the plan will take roughly 30 to 50 years to complete, and some may be adjusted for future development plans. 

"These roads may not be built, but it's intended to reserve that right-of-way," Eurek explained. "With growth, you want to have good growth." 

The presentation included a comparison of current and potential future traffic flow. The maps demonstrated morning, midday and evening traffic. With anticipated population growth and development, heavy congestion or gridlock is expected, especially during evening times. 

Planners took into account industry growth and residential development for planning new roadways, according to Mullins. 

Flood zones and land use were also acknowledged when creating the plan. The plan does not require surveying, a funding plan, or cost estimates, nor does it prioritize any project over another. 

Kinley-Horn and H-GAC worked with the Texas Department of Transportation and looked at other counties' plans to ensure the routes were cohesive with surrounding areas and followed standard regulations. 

"One thing you'll see on these roads, they do extend, or they are continuations of other counties, so Liberty County, Jefferson County and Harris County to the west. We're looking at their plans as part of this process to make sure there is some coordination," Eurek said. 

Mullins said many locals are interested in a parallel route for Interstate 10 and the team worked to make it a possibility. 

"They don't go all the way across the county like we would hope to, but they get you to a point where you can take alternative routes," Mullins explained. 

Additionally, the plan provides north and south connections for the county's eastern side. 

"Formally, the study will be completed by March. We hope to be wrapped up sooner than then," Eurek said. 

Planning began in the summer of 2023, and planners anticipate finishing in December to January or March at the latest. 

The first public gathering was held at the Barbers Hill Fall Fest, where over 200 attendees stopped at the booth to provide their input on the plan, according to the presentation given. 

"If you have anybody that's still interested in providing input beyond the scope of this meeting, we do have an online website," Eurek said. 

Both H-GAC and Kinley-Horn encourage county residents to provide their opinions on potential route ideas and current routes within the plan. The last day to provide feedback will be Nov. 12. 

Scan the QR code or visit https://engage.h-gac.com/chambers-county-thoroughfare-plan-study to view the interactive map or to add input.