HOUSTON, TEXAS – Heavy equipment and construction crews will soon be working along White Oak Bayou between F.M. 1960 and Hollister Street as the first of two final projects of the White Oak Bayou Federal Project gets underway. The White Oak Bayou Federal Project is a partnership project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is a multi-year $124 million effort to reduce flooding risks in the White Oak Bayou watershed. This first of two final projects will begin this week and is expected to be completed by year-end 2021.
Harris County Commissioners Court recently approved a $20.6 million contract to begin construction on the first of these two remaining projects. This project will widen White Oak Bayou and replace or modify storm pipes and outfall structures. The inflow and outflow weirs to the stormwater detention basins along this reach will be modified for the final channel section.
“With another damaging hurricane season coming to a close, I know it will give some comfort to residents along this stretch of White Oak Bayou to know that Harris County is delivering on its promise to make major improvements in the area that will reduce flooding risks,” said Commissioner R. Jack Cagle. “While no one can guarantee that any area of southeast Texas will never flood, these improvements will substantially reduce that risk, and we will all be thankful when work is completed next year.”
“This extensive project focuses on reducing the risk of flooding along White Oak Bayou - a very real and constant concern for the neighborhoods that have been hard hit by repeated weather events over the years,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. “The completion of this project will help us deliver on the promises we made to voters who approved this investment. We look forward to sharing project updates with the community throughout the duration of this work.”
Construction crews may need to perform temporary lane closures for the safety of both motorists and construction workers. Motorists are urged to be alert to truck traffic when passing near construction access points and along truck routes. Many hike and bike trail closures are anticipated within the project area during construction.
“This is an exciting project for the City of Jersey Village,“ said Mayor Andrew Mitcham, the Mayor of the City of Jersey Village. “It is the product of many years of hard work between the city, county, and federal government to increase our flood protection capacity in our city. It is also another step forward in completing projects identified in the Jersey Village Long Term Flood Reduction Plan. We are excited for this project to break ground and anxiously await the completion if it.”
For more on this project, visit our website.