Deal finally signed on project to rebuild Cullen Boulevard
By Dug Begley STAFF WRITER
Mayor Sylvester Turner, UH’s Renu Khator and County Commissioner Rodney Ellis break ground on the project.
Twelve-foot bicycle and pedestrian paths on each side of the street are part of the Cullen Boulevard rebuilding project.
Months after work began on the main street through the University of Houston campus, officials with Harris County, the city of Houston and the school have finally inked an agreement for rebuilding Cullen Boulevard.
County commissioners approved, after months of internal work, an agreement among the county, Houston and UH outlining payments for the work and a maintenance plan for the boulevard — touted as a much-needed rebuild of a key southeast Houston street that was neglected for far too long.
“All of our neighborhoods should have streets that are safe and accessible for everyone,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said Tuesday in a social media post. “These improvements will significantly enhance the quality of life for the entire University of Houston and Third Ward community.”
Work on the first phase was completed more than a year before officials reached a final agreement, with new drainage, sidewalks and streets in place along Cullen from MacGregor to Wheeler in September 2020. Work continues on the portion from Wheeler north to Interstate 45, through the UH campus.
Drainage and utility relocation issues have slowed the rebuild, now set for completion in summer 2023.
In addition to significant underground work aimed at resolving widespread localized flooding in the area, the street rebuild narrows Cullen to one lane in each direction with a continual turn lane and adds a 12-foot bicycle and pedestrian path on each side of the street.
The project is among a handful related to $30 million that Ellis committed to what he has called neglected streets surrounding the UH and Texas Southern University area. Half of that, $15 million, is for Cullen, which is also using $3.7 million in city of Houston funds for drainage improvements. Under the agreement, which the city and UH signed in September, the university will maintain the landscaping, including pedestrian lighting and public furniture such as benches installed along the route. dug.begley@chron.com