Plans moving forward to expand FM 529
8 Feb 2022
By: George Slaughter - Katy Times
The public has a Friday deadline to request a public hearing—if set, it would be the third such hearing—to provide input on a plan to expand FM 529 from the Grand Parkway to FM 362.
The Texas Department of Transportation’s plan to expand the road, presently a two-lane undivided roadway with four-foot shoulders, with one lane in each direction, has been in development since 2018.
Sue Theiss, director for advanced project development for the Texas Department of Transportation, gave a Jan. 6 briefing at the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce describing the department’s plans. Now the deadline for another potential hearing is here.
According to the department website, the department held a public hearing in April 2019 and a virtual public hearing in 2020.
The plans call for the 12.2-mile stretch of road to be widened with 10-foot-wide side paths on both sides. The urban section of the road, from State Highway 99 to Katy Hockley Cut-Off, is to be widened from two to six lanes, three in each direction.
The rural section of the road, from Katy Hockley Cut-Off to FM 362, is to be extended from two to four lanes, two in each direction.
Approximately 109 acres—25 for acreage, and 81 for roadway—are needed for right-of-way. Some of these acres affect the Eba Herbert Ranch and Beckendorff Farm, both of which are historic sites. Part of the road construction would affect wetlands and a floodplain.
The department said one commercial business, one nonresidential structure, and one overhead utility tower are potential displacements. The department said relocation assistance is available for displaced people and businesses.
The department anticipates the start of construction in early 2029.
Those wishing to request a public hearing on the department’s plans are asked to contact the department at 713-802-5076, and reference project numbers: 1006-01-074; 1006-02-009; and 1006-01-079.