Residents near west Katy have until Friday, Sept. 4, to submit comments on three proposed routes for Highway 36A South, a 41-mile north-south corridor that could displace up to 36 homes and require thousands of acres of right-of-way in Fort Bend and Waller counties.
TxDOT held an open house on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at The Katy Gardens on Schlipf Road, where residents could review maps and schematics for the three remaining alternatives. A second open house takes place Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg; TxDOT says the information at both locations is identical.
The agency narrowed the field from eight preliminary alternatives presented during public scoping in summer 2025 to three: Reasonable Alternatives 4, 8A and 9. Each differs in land needs, home displacements and design.
What the three routes would mean
Alternative 4 would require roughly 3,091 acres of new right-of-way and could displace 23 residences, including 13 single-family homes and 10 mobile homes, plus two non-residential structures.
Alternative 8A carries the highest residential impact: 36 potential displacements (24 single-family homes, 10 mobile homes and two multifamily homes) across about 2,659 acres of right-of-way, along with six commercial or non-residential properties.
Alternative 9 uses existing SH 36 and Spur 10 corridors, placing an elevated four-lane highway above portions of the current roadway. It needs the least new land, roughly 1,295 acres, and could affect 25 residences (21 single-family homes and four mobile homes) and eight commercial properties.
Alternatives 4 and 8A would build a new divided highway with four 12-foot travel lanes, a 64-foot median, shoulders and a 10-foot shared-use path within a 450-foot right-of-way. Alternative 9 would not include frontage roads or a shared-use path.
All displacement figures are preliminary, based on desktop assessments, according to TxDOT project materials. A line appearing within a study alternative does not mean a property has been condemned or that acquisition is imminent. TxDOT says relocation assistance would be available for displaced residents and businesses if the project moves forward.
Why the highway
The proposed corridor would run from FM 1994 south of Needville to I-10 west of Katy, filling what TxDOT calls a gap in continuous north-south highway connectivity. Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers, past chair of the Highway 36A Coalition, said in an Aug. 7 Community Impact article that "the Hwy. 36A route aims to provide a road for large trucks to travel from Port Freeport to reach major highways and distribute freight in North Texas."
The coalition backing the project includes Fort Bend, Waller and Brazoria counties, the City of Katy, City of Pattison and City of Weston Lakes.
Funding has not been identified. The project remains in the planning and environmental-review stage, with construction in wetlands and floodplains among the considerations.
How to comment
Comments must be received or postmarked by Friday, Sept. 4, to become part of the official record. A virtual public meeting with a prerecorded presentation, project exhibits and schematics has been available online since Thursday, Aug. 13, for residents who could not attend in person.
Residents can submit feedback online via TxDOT's comment form, by email to [email protected], or by mail to TxDOT Houston District Office, Advanced Project Development Department, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, TX 77251-1386. Those without internet access can call 713-802-5199 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Meetings and materials are available in English and Spanish, with interpretation at no charge.
Property owners with questions about right-of-way acquisition can contact TxDOT right-of-way project manager Angelica Sizemore at 713-802-5740.
After the comment window closes, TxDOT will continue environmental analysis of the three alternatives, consider public input and complete additional engineering before identifying a preferred route.
