Houston / Katy Freeway archive
Katy Freeway: Living on Borrowed Time
Katy Freeway right-of-way clearance · May 20, 2001 photographs
In May 2001, homes, businesses and even a five-level interchange along Houston’s Katy Freeway stood in the path of a much wider corridor. These photographs record the properties and streets before right-of-way clearance gathered pace.
↗ EnlargeCollection: TexasFreeway Katy Freeway photographs
Bunningham Street sat directly in the planned path of the westbound frontage road.
12 photographs · 3 archive maps
See the properties in the path of the Katy Freeway expansion.
Scan the photographs and captions, or settle into the larger slideshow.
Choose a part of the corridor.
Businesses along the eastbound frontage road
Frontage-road businesses between Silber and Wirt
Silber to Wirt Road
3 photographs
Businesses along the eastbound frontage road
Businesses near the Antoine exit
Office building at I-10 and Wirt Road
Community facilities, homes and early clearance
A neighborhood and YMCA in the expansion path
The YMCA and Bunningham Street
5 photographs
May 20, 2001
The YMCA and residential area west of Wirt
May 20, 2001
The YMCA at Voss Road
May 20, 2001
Bunningham Street before clearance
May 20, 2001
First cleared lot south of Bunningham Street
May 20, 2001
First cleared lots north of Bunningham Street
Businesses, power lines and the five-level stack
Restaurants and ramps approaching Beltway 8
Campbell Road to Beltway 8
4 photographs
May 20, 2001
Ciro's restaurant near Campbell Road
May 20, 2001
Businesses and power lines west of Campbell Road
May 20, 2001
The Beltway 8 stack and frontage-road restaurants
May 20, 2001
The Igloo factory west of Beltway 8
From the original archive
Katy Freeway expansion plans in 2001
Living on Borrowed Time: Right-of-way Clearance for the IH-10 Katy Freeway Expansion
Also see: Interstate 10 West, Katy Freeway | March 2001 Schematics
The corridor width for the expanded IH-10 west from IH-610 to State Highway 6 will be one of the nation's widest, fully-paved freeway corridors for a sustained distance (10 miles). The existing right of way is typically 250-300 feet (76-91m), but is as narrow as 200 feet (61m) in one section. The planned facility between IH-610 and BW8 will have a minimum width of 475 feet (145m) and a maximum width of 530 feet (162m). From BW8 to State highway 8, the right-of-way will typically 435 feet (133m) but has sections up to 455 feet (139m).
Approximately 1067 residences and business will be displaced.
A unique set of conditions existed to minimize the number of displacements to clear this wide corridor. These conditions probably made the major expansion possible. First, there was a 100-foot-wide railroad corridor on the north side of the freeway. TxDOT bought out the railroad, so right away there was 100 feet available. Second, old Katy Road (the old US 90) was on the north side of the railroad tracks in much of the corridor. This provided another 35 feet. However, in some sections, particularly between IH-610 and Beltway 8, Old Katy Road does not exist, and the existing freeway right-of-way is as narrow as 200 feet. This means that up to 200 feet of right-of-way needs to be acquired in places.
