City of Houston Receives $29 Million Grant for Bissonnet Modernization Project

HOUSTON. Houston will receive nearly $29 million to make one of its busiest and deadliest streets safer.

The US Department of Transportation provided money to upgrade the 7-mile section of Bissonnet Street from South Dairy Ashford Road to Hillcroft Avenue.

Houston’s grant was the largest of 28 awarded in Texas.

It will be used to upgrade the road with the highest number of fatal crashes and the second most serious injury crashes of any city-owned street.

At Sofia’s Hair Design in southwest Houston, owner Milagros Maldonado has been on the front row since 1996 to watch for an opportunity to make her way to Bissonnet near Fondren and the dangers that come with it.

“A lot of accidents,” Maldonado said.

“Are people speeding?” asked Adam Bennet of KHOU 11.

“Yes, they do, or they don’t respect, you know, stop, you know, and they just run,” Maldonado said. “We see a lot of accidents.”

She said she worries about her clients, many of whom walk to her salon, and worries about students walking from nearby Sharpstown High School.

“You know, there’s a lot of hustle and bustle here, but you have to be very careful,” said Cyprian Imoch, who boarded a bus on Thursday while his car was being repaired. There are not many sidewalks in this area. ” said Imoh.

Part of the Bissonnet redesign includes new sidewalks and other improvements for pedestrians. It will also feature dedicated turn lanes, protected bike lanes, roundabouts, and reconfigured street lanes.

City officials were informed Wednesday that they would receive a nearly $29 million federal grant to help cover the nearly $36 million cost.

“Truly delighted,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said.

Turner said he expects some resistance to the redesign.

Visualizations show that parts of Bissonnet may lose lane to make room for change.

“I know change isn’t easy sometimes, but too many people get hurt and too many people die from cars on the road,” Turner said.

While some business owners worry about the potential impact of the construction, they are hopeful that the end result will allow customers to return safe and sound for years to come.

“It could be better for business as well,” Maldonado said.

Houston Public Works said they expect construction to begin in 2025 and be completed by 2028.

The city said it had set a goal of ending road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.