Highway 36A chairman describes efforts to develop north-south routes in Southeast Texas

By George Slaughter, News Editor
Posted 7/14/22

As Katy and Southeast Texas grow westward, it’s easy to see the need for east-west routes. But the need for north-south routes is also important to ease congestion and help economic growth.

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Highway 36A chairman describes efforts to develop north-south routes in Southeast Texas

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As Katy and Southeast Texas grow westward, it’s easy to see the need for east-west routes. But the need for north-south routes is also important to ease congestion and help economic growth.

Robert Pechukas is director of policy and administration for the Waller County Commissioners Court. He is also in his second year as chairman of Highway 36A Coalition. According to its website, Highway 36A Coalition, Inc., is a group of local governments, elected officials, private businesses, and individuals working to develop a regional transportation infrastructure from the Brazosport area to Hempstead. Pechukas spoke Thursday morning at a Katy area Chamber of Commerce meeting.

“The mission of 36A basically is to foster strong working relationships with the local governments, with the general public, and with all the regional players and departments that we have in order to enhance our mobility and enhance our evacuation runs, and to provide some sustained transportation throughout the area,” Pechukas said.

Before joining Waller County, Pechukas worked for Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers. There, Pechukas said, he was concerned about the relative lack of north-south routes. But other than the recently-opened Texas Heritage Parkway, there is no major north-south route in the area.

“The growth that we have out there, it’s pretty amazing,” Pechukas said. “It’s very exciting, but at the same time it’s a bit nerve-racking knowing we have all these people that are going to be moving out here. All these developments that are going to be coming, and as far as pushing people more south, there’s nothing really feasible to move that traffic. FM 359 is in the area, but that’s a two-lane asphalt road and a lot of parts. We’re trying our best to work on getting something on the ground at some point to where we can move all these people. It’s coming. We can’t stop it.”

Pechukas said when it came to developing north-south routes, he did not want to follow Austin’s example.

“I don’t like the Austin mentality of, if we don’t build it, it won’t come,” Pechukas said. “That was proven wrong many, many, many years ago. So, why not plan for it, and why not be efficient in what we do and why not make the people out here a little bit happier and pull ahead.”

In thinking about the route that the Highway 36A coalition wants to see, he said it was divided into north and south sections.

“Speaking from the Brazoria and Fort Bend side of things, I can say I think the route is relatively set,” Pechukas said. “The Ranch Road or Total Park Road or whatever you want to call it, it seems to be a logical choice. I wouldn’t say it’s set in stone, but that seems to be the general concept of where things might go.”

The north section, he said, was another story.

“We just don’t know,” Pechukas said. “There’s a lot of different factors that go in north of I-10. When you look at what’s going on in Waller County, you’ve got developments coming in.”

In addition to the developments, Pechukas said working with the Coastal Prairie Conservancy, and knowing how best to address major flood areas, were other factors to consider. He said an environmental impact study is being conducted.

“It’s to figure out what makes the most sense,” Pechukas said. “Right now, we’ve got this big map and the road could go anywhere from here to here. This is going to help us narrow that down and it’s something that we hope will help facilitate being able to put something down on paper at some point. I want to say very clearly there is nothing on paper right now. There is no route that we think is the best.”

The need for more north-south routes becomes clearer as Freeport, and its port, continue to grow. Such routes could have economic implications for Sealy, Brookshire, and Katy, among other communities. Pechukas praised Phyllis Saathoff, Port Freeport’s executive director/CEO.

“She’s doing a great job of building that port and getting traffic out there,” he said. “You are seeing a port that has modernized very quickly, that has turned into a major player in the Houston area and with that comes more traffic on the roads and I would think that State Highway, 288 even with the expansion project that they did, could always use relief. The Brazoria folks out there need help. I think they want the help. It’s just a matter of being able to provide the mobility solutions.”

Pechukas said that recent redistricting efforts at the county and state levels of government means the coalition must educate people on what it hopes to do.

“You’ve got a lot of people who may not be familiar or as familiar with this project as you have in the past,” Pechukas said. “So, it’s our job to reach out, to advocate with them, for them and I’m going to see what we can get out of it. To continue to work with the people that are either new to this area but not newly elected, or are going to be newly elected and to build off of that. The legislative session is going to be really exciting for us.”

Katy Area Chamber of Commerce, Highway 36A Coalition