HOUSTON – As part of the Brays Bayou Federal Flood Damage Reduction Project, known as Project Brays, the Harris County Flood Control District has begun construction on the next phase of channel modifications.
Officials said Brays Bayou will be widened between Buffalo Speedway and South Rice Avenue in the Meyerland area during the construction phase.
"Project Brays is a $480 million cooperative effort between the Flood Control District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," the Harris County Flood Control District said. "It includes the widening of 21 miles of Brays Bayou in 13 separate channel modification project segments, the modification of 32 bridges and the construction of four stormwater detention basins, with a combined capacity of 3.5 billion gallons."
Harris County Commissioners Court awarded the approximately $11.31 million construction contract on July 11 to lowest qualified bidder Quest Civil Constructors Inc., officials said. Work on the project began in July, and is expected to be complete in late summer 2018.
During the construction phase, Brays Bayou will be widened along a section from 2,200 feet upstream of Buffalo Speedway to downstream of South Rice Avenue in the Meyerland area, officials said.
The Flood Control District will excavate around 280,000 cubic yards of soil as part of the project, and will construct retaining walls under the Interstate Highway 610/South Post Oak Road and Braeswood Boulevard bridges. Officials said the project also will install new outfalls and headwalls and rebuild existing trails along the bayou in the project area.
"To make way for the channel modification project, the Flood Control District will clear some trees and vegetation," the Harris County Flood Control District said. "When construction is complete, the Flood Control District is committed to replanting trees and shrubs along the bayou during the next planting season. To date, the Flood Control District has planted more than 46,000 trees along completed sections of Brays Bayou, and at four regional stormwater detention basins."
Officials said construction operations require the use of large trucks to carry the excavated soil from the construction site for off-site disposal, and to pour the concrete for the retaining walls.
All motorists and pedestrians are encouraged to be alert to large-truck traffic when passing near the construction access points, officials said.
Visit projectbrays.org for more information about the project. Officials said, to ask a question or comment on the project, call Harris County Flood Control District's Project and Study Information Line at 713-684-4040 or the Project Brays Information Hotline at 713-316-4820.
