Construction on Katy Hockley Road is progressing within the project's overall 15-month timeline, the City of Katy announced in an email to residents late in the afternoon of May 15.

“However, CenterPoint Energy's relocation of two natural gas mains running the length of the roadway has shifted some intermediate milestones later than originally planned,” the email said. “The city wants to keep residents informed about what to expect and why.”

CenterPoint is set to complete their gas line relocation work mid-summer, when the City's contractor will finish storm sewer and box culvert installation. Once that work is complete, concrete paving can begin, the email said. Two-way traffic between Spoon Bill and Morton Road is anticipated to be restored by mid-October 2026, weather permitting.

The city's contractor will bring in additional personnel and equipment to accelerate work once CenterPoint's portion is complete. About 75% of CenterPoint’s delays came from being unable to locate an existing gas main buried under Morton Road at Katy Hockley Road. After weeks of excavation reaching up to 20 feet deep without success, CenterPoint decided to lay a new gas line along Morton Road entirely and abandon the search.

The project also includes major storm sewer pipes running the full length of the road on both sides of the road, the email said. About 30% are installed, but no further work can proceed until the gas lines and all branching service lines are relocated and cleared. “Because the storm sewers must go beneath the new pavement, concrete cannot be poured until they are fully in place,” the email said.

Restoring two-way traffic between Morton and Spoon Bill requires the storm sewers on the west side of that segment to be installed first — work that cannot begin until mid-summer due to the gas line work. Paving can only follow after that, the email said.

The city does not recommend a temporary restoration of two-way traffic in the area for three reasons, according to the email:

· Reconfiguring all detour signage and message boards would take about a week, and reverting back to one-way would take another week — leaving only a brief window of two-way operation before switching again. This is likely to increase confusion for drivers, the email said.

· A third contractor will be on-site during this same period rehabilitating sanitary sewer lines along the west side of Katy Hockley Road from Morton to past Spoon Bill. One-way traffic keeps workers safer and some lane closures would be unavoidable regardless.

· CenterPoint Gas will also be working in the road shoulder areas during this window.

“The city remains on track to complete the Katy Hockley Road Widening Project within its original 15-month timeline,” the email said.