I-10 Widening Project Continues in Texas

The current work will expand the freeway to three lanes in each direction and shift a notorious bottleneck farther west.

1 minute read

May 20, 2021, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Drivers who travel between Houston and Austin are familiar with exactly where traffic usually slows down. "Coming from Houston, it is just past Katy," says Kristina Hernandez, a resident who makes the drive frequently. Now, reports Dug Begley for the Houston Chronicle, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is expanding Interstate 10 there as "part of a generation-long goal of having three lanes in each direction along I-10 from Houston to San Antonio." The current project, which will cost close to $570 million, will shift the bottleneck that now occurs in the area near Sealy farther west. "When the work is completed in mid-2022, drivers will have three lanes in each direction through Sealy, as opposed to the well-known bottleneck west of Brookshire."

Local leaders hope the expansion will benefit Sealy's economy by making the 50-mile trip to and from downtown Houston faster. "The work comes with changes in Sealy’s appearance, however. New freeway lanes and frontage roads — in many spots the work is replacing rural two-way frontage roads typically on one side of the interstate with more urban and suburban styled one-way boulevards on both sides — will mean new businesses and intersections."

Thursday, May 13, 2021 in Houston Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

Blue self-driving Ford Transit van shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US

A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.

July 7 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA