DETAILS The North Canal project will reduce the risk of flooding downtown and reduce flood damage to upstream areas along White Oak and Buffalo Bayous. The project consists of three components: a high-flow diversion channel, an overflow channel, and channel improvements. The North Canal is at the confluence of White Oak and Buffalo Bayous, with the South overflow channel downstream. The channel improvements provide increased conveyance capacity and flood damage reduction to areas along White Oak Bayou.
MAP
How is this project funded? This project is part of the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is the recipient of HMGP funding, and the City is the sub-recipient. The funding for project costs is based on a 35.15% federal and 64.85% local cost share. The City is partnering with the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority on the behalf of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 5 (TIRZ No. 5) to implement the Project
Current project status. The City of Houston kicked off its design consultant (HDR Engineering, Inc.) and began the City of Houston (COH) Final Design phase on July 7, 2023. COH Phase 2 Final Design is anticipated to require approximately two (2) years to complete. It builds off of the efforts from Preliminary Design with a continual refinement of the design at 60%, 90%, and 100% milestone design submittals. Design refinement is achieved through additional site-specific investigations, including topographic survey, utility, bathymetric, geotechnical, Environmental Site Assessment Phase 2, cultural resource, and archeological. Refinement of the design and completion-related studies will produce a final construction plan set and bidding package. Additionally, in November 2023, the City anticipates awarding a contract to a firm to support Real Estate acquisition. The project has benefited from support from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Targeted Brownfields Assessment program, which has completed field sampling at all project areas and issued draft Environmental Site Assessment Phase II reports; finalizing those reports is anticipated by the first quarter of calendar year 2024. Design is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2025, then Construction in the summer of 2026 through the end of 2029.
DETAILS The North Canal project will reduce the risk of flooding downtown and reduce flood damage to upstream areas along White Oak and Buffalo Bayous. The project consists of three components: a high-flow diversion channel, an overflow channel, and channel improvements. The North Canal is at the confluence of White Oak and Buffalo Bayous, with the South overflow channel downstream. The channel improvements provide increased conveyance capacity and flood damage reduction to areas along White Oak Bayou.
MAP
How is this project funded? This project is part of the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is the recipient of HMGP funding, and the City is the sub-recipient. The funding for project costs is based on a 35.15% federal and 64.85% local cost share. The City is partnering with the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority on the behalf of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 5 (TIRZ No. 5) to implement the Project
Current project status. The City of Houston kicked off its design consultant (HDR Engineering, Inc.) and began the City of Houston (COH) Final Design phase on July 7, 2023. COH Phase 2 Final Design is anticipated to require approximately two (2) years to complete. It builds off of the efforts from Preliminary Design with a continual refinement of the design at 60%, 90%, and 100% milestone design submittals. Design refinement is achieved through additional site-specific investigations, including topographic survey, utility, bathymetric, geotechnical, Environmental Site Assessment Phase 2, cultural resource, and archeological. Refinement of the design and completion-related studies will produce a final construction plan set and bidding package. Additionally, in November 2023, the City anticipates awarding a contract to a firm to support Real Estate acquisition. The project has benefited from support from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Targeted Brownfields Assessment program, which has completed field sampling at all project areas and issued draft Environmental Site Assessment Phase II reports; finalizing those reports is anticipated by the first quarter of calendar year 2024. Design is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2025, then Construction in the summer of 2026 through the end of 2029.
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The City of Houston's Final Design is in progress. The primary components of the topographic survey is anticipated to be complete this month and will be followed by geotechnical borings, environmental sampling, and archeological investigation.
Design refinement is ongoing for the Yale-Heights area channel widening, including coordination with overlapping TxDOT and METRO design projects.
Design refinement is ongoing for the North Canal area. It has been determined that a shift in the channel alignment to the south for a portion of the channel will be made to avoid building structure impacts (along Wood Street).
The TxDOT North Houston Highway Improvement Project now intends to perform the design and construction of the South Canal channel scope. The City will confirm acceptance of this North Canal project scope change with the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Design coordination with METRO is ongoing for North Canal channel impacts to their existing Buffalo Bayou Facility and the planned replacement property.
Design coordination and advancement of required Union Pacific Railroad components is ongoing.
Design coordination with key stakeholders is ongoing.
The kickoff of the Real Estate Support Services contract is scheduled for the first part of this month, followed by initial steps to prepare for acquisition, where the final closing step won’t occur until FEMA’s approval of the Design Phase and award of the Construction Phase.
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The City of Houston's Final Design is in progress (began on July 7, 2023). The topographic survey will be followed by geotechnical borings, environmental sampling, and archeological investigation.
Design refinement is ongoing for the Yale-Heights area channel widening, including coordination with overlapping TxDOT and METRO design projects.
Design refinement is ongoing for the North Canal area, with an evaluation of the ability to shift a portion of the channel to avoid building structure impacts.
Design coordination with TxDOT is ongoing for the North Houston Highway Improvement Project at the South Canal area.
Design coordination with METRO is ongoing for North Canal channel impacts to their existing Buffalo Bayou Facility and the planned replacement property.
Design coordination and advancement of required Union Pacific Railroad components have begun.
Coordination with key stakeholders has begun and will be an ongoing activity throughout the design.
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Scheduled to start the City’s design consultant (HDR Engineering, Inc.) for City of Houston Phase 2 Final Design scope of services 1st week of July 2023
The City Project Manager met with Bicycle Advisory Committee in the Spring of 2023, providing a briefing on the North Canal project’s proposed bicycle and pedestrian components from the preliminary design efforts.
Design is anticipated to be complete by Summer 2025, then reviewed and anticipated approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program grant Recipient of the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM), followed by Construction from Winter 2025 to Fall 2029
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Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Houston and METRO was executed on March 2, 2023. This Identifies anticipated actions by each party for acquisition and relocation of a portion of METRO’s downtown bus facility for North Canal project improvements.
