HOUSTON—Mobility is a challenge in growing cities and Houston is no exception. During the past five years, Houston has added 700,000 residents, which translates to strengthening residential and retail markets but exacerbates traffic conditions.

With population surging in Houston, highway improvements are necessary for both current and future traffic flow. There are five significant TXDOT transportation projects, totaling approximately $2 billion worth of investment, which will greatly expand mobility around Houston, according to CBRE Research.

Interstate 45 is one of the top 10 most traveled stretches of roadway in Texas. For the 150,000 employees working downtown, the Interstate 45 improvement project will eventually ease lengthy commute times by removing the Pierce Elevated and shifting Interstate 45 to be parallel with Interstate 69.

The Interstate 610 West Loop is the second most used freeway in Texas, particularly at the intersection of Interstate 610 and Interstate 69, seven miles west of downtown. Fully funded construction could begin as soon as fall 2017.

For the Texas Medical Center, five miles south of downtown, the Highway 288 project will have a significant impact on growing medical facilities. Medical professionals and patients will have improved access to and around the world's largest medical complex with additional connectors and managed toll lanes.

While the majority of construction will take place inside the Interstate 610 Loop, the Hardy Toll Road Downtown Connector and final sections of the Grand Parkway are vital transportation projects that target suburban mobility. This four-lane toll managed development will assist Houstonians who have longer commutes around the city, and will support global supply and logistics operations.

“The transportation improvements will create some congestion for office occupiers. In one example, take a look at the Highway 290 expansion project which significantly impacted leasing decisions in that submarket. We aren't anticipating such negative results in the Galleria or CBD submarkets for three reasons, though: multiple points of entry from commuter traffic, density of variety of nearby residential housing and the sheer quality of office product and demand levels,” Robert Kramp, director of research and analysis, Texas-Oklahoma division of CBRE tells GlobeSt.com. “The IH-45 realignment, in particular, is an exciting project for the city in terms of mobility but also think about how it will change Midtown and EaDo—such as spurring many kinds of new urban development. Most importantly, we've seen Houston's footprint widen over time prompting office and retail development such as in the Energy Corridor and The Woodlands for example. As more sections of the Grand Parkway are completed, Houston will continue to see commercial development break ground in the far suburbs. Mobility improvements make this investment in our growth a reality.”

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Road Upgrades Make Growth Investments a Reality

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