A proposed highway connecting Port Freeport to Interstate 10 west of Katy is down to three routes, each costing at least $3.7 billion.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) presented the three finalists for the Highway 36A South project at an Aug. 18 public hearing at Katy Gardens, 1040 Schlipf Road, the Katy Times reported. The agency started with eight route options, added a ninth after public feedback, then cut the field to three it calls "Reasonable Alternatives."
About 4,900 people took part in scoping meetings held in the summer of 2025 that shaped the narrowing, according to TxDOT documents. Common concerns included farmland loss, historic properties, evacuation routes, noise and flooding.
The three routes
Alternative 4 runs about 41.8 miles and would require 3,091 acres of right-of-way. It could displace 23 homes and two commercial buildings. Estimated cost: $3.79 billion.
Alternative 8A is the cheapest option at $3.71 billion. It spans roughly 41.3 miles, needs 2,659 acres of right-of-way and could displace 36 homes and six commercial buildings.
Alternative 9 is the most expensive at $4.95 billion but uses the least land: 1,295 acres. It would run about 41.4 miles as an elevated highway on columns along the existing State Highway 36 and Spur 10 corridor. It could displace 25 homes and eight commercial buildings.
Alternatives 4 and 8A would each feature four lanes separated by a 6-foot grassy median, intermittent service roads and a 10-foot shared-use path, according to Community Impact. Alternative 9 would have no shared-use path and no service roads.
No funding identified
No funding has been identified.
TxDOT's timeline calls for a draft Environmental Impact Statement in late 2027, a final route decision by summer 2028 and construction starting in 2037. Property acquisition could run through fall 2031. The project would involve construction in wetlands and require work in a floodplain, TxDOT documents state.
The public comment window closes Friday, Sept. 4. Comments can be mailed to TxDOT Houston District, Advanced Project Development, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, TX 77251-1386, or emailed to [email protected].
Local stakes
The City of Katy sits on the Highway 36A Coalition board alongside Fort Bend, Waller and Brazoria counties. Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers, a past chair of the coalition, has been a vocal supporter.
"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," Meyers said in an Aug. 7 Community Impact report on Waller County's industrial corridor plans.
In a Sept. 11, 2025, Katy Times op-ed, Meyers wrote that more than 75% of Fort Bend County revenue comes from residential taxpayers and argued the highway would help diversify the county's economic base by attracting freight-dependent businesses.
TxDOT also proposed five routes for the northern portion of the project, from I-10 west of Katy to Highway 290 west of Waller. A final route for the north section is expected in late 2029.
Property owners who may be affected can reach TxDOT's relocation assistance program at 713-802-5740.
