Austin Street project cost more than expected — and it's behind schedule
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Austin Street in Midtown in late March. Photo: Jay R. Jordan/Axios
A year after the city of Houston began ripping up and reshaping Midtown's Austin Street for a drainage project, workers have not yet finished the job.
Why it matters: The undertaking is already $1.6 million over its initial estimate, according to the city.
- The project is a key point of contention between Mayor John Whitmire's administration and street safety advocates. Whitmire's administration prioritizes relieving inner-city traffic congestion he says plagues drivers, while advocates say that jeopardizes the safety of pedestrians and bike riders.
Catch up quick: The work includes waterline and drainage improvements, along with a rehabilitation of the roadway, according to Houston Public Works.
Driving the news: While the project was scheduled to be completed in summer 2025, surprises during construction and below-standard work prolonged the work well into 2026.
- The project faced initial delays after crews discovered "waterline conflicts" at the onset that stopped work for several months, Houston Public Works director Randy Macchi says in a statement to Axios.
- Then, after crews finished the drainage work, paved the roadway and painted lane markings, officials decided pavement and striping didn't meet the city's standards, Macchi adds.
The latest: Workers tore up the new pavement and are overlaying a fresh bed of asphalt before painting stripes on again.
By the numbers: The project was initially estimated to cost $4 million, which included $2 million for new waterlines, $1 million for drainage and sidewalk improvements and $1 million for the road surface rehabilitation.
- The waterline work wound up costing $3.2 million, Macchi tells Axios. The drainage and sidewalk portion totaled $1.4 million after the city added more sidewalk and driveway improvements.
- The final cost for road surface rehabilitation has yet to be realized as that work continues.
Between the lines: Once complete, Austin Street will no longer have a protected bike lane but will instead have a paint-only bike lane for northbound cyclists, along with additional parking in place of the former bike lane.
- In April 2025, Macchi said the project was not centered on removing the bike lane. "That is the result of what we're doing, but this is a drainage project," he told reporters at the time.
Yes, but: Whitmire had his sights on removing the two-way bike lane as early as 2024, per text messages released in August through open record laws.
What's next: The work is now slated to be complete by the end of April, Macchi says.