Relief could be coming soon for neighbors fed up with years of Houston road's deep holes and cracks

Rosie Nguyen Image
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Relief could be coming for neighbors fed up with year of holes on road
After not hearing about a long-term solution to fix this stretch of road in southeast Houston, residents turn to ABC13 for help.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Neighbors living in southeast Houston are fed up with large holes and cracks that have riddled Mykawa Road between Almeda Genoa Road and the bridge at Clear Creek. They claim that they have filed reports about the ongoing issue for years, but it hasn't gotten any better.

Dedrick Turner, who lives nearby on Colby Meadow Drive, said his family had a close call about a month ago. He said they were driving on Mykawa when an oncoming car crashed into them after hitting a large hole in the road.

SEE ALSO: Houston has filled more potholes in first 7 months of 2023 than all of 2022

"It was a deep pothole. (The other driver) hit it, came up, and hit us. It was really bad. It was really scary," Turner said. "On the (other) side, it's very smooth. But when you come across that bridge coming (from) that way, you're on a rollercoaster."

Turner is referring to the road conditions when you drive north of Pearland on Mykawa Road and enter the City of Houston after the Clear Creek bridge. When our ABC13 crew drove along the road, we saw all types of potholes, punchouts, faulting, and failing pavement.

Jordan Causey said it's extremely difficult to navigate the road when she commutes to and from work, and she often has to slow down or swerve around the holes to avoid damaging her car.

"These potholes are very dangerous. I feel like I can lose a tire from one of these potholes. They're really deep, and every time it rains, it just gets worse. It just disintegrates," Causey said. "When you drive down, you see nothing but patches. Instead of being patched, it needs to be entirely re-paved."

That's why Causey said she turned to ABC13 for some answers. She said community members have filed multiple complaints to the city with no long-term solution.

SEE ALSO: 'It's a wild thing' Action 13 happens upon New Caney community with dental-mold filled potholes

"It makes me feel unheard. We pay our taxes. When they don't respond to us, it makes you feel like you're just a number in a neighborhood," Causey said.

Neighbors expressed fear for their safety and feel frustrated that more hasn't been done to address their concerns.

"It's horrible. My wife got rear-ended last year because of a giant hole," Anthony Hollis said. "I know that for six months or however long it would take, I'd be willing to take another route if they'd be willing to fix the road. That would be the best case for me."

According to 311, the City of Houston has received approximately 74 calls for service on this stretch of road in the last six months. Houston Public Works told ABC13 that there is currently a rehabilitation project in the design phase for Mykawa Road, which means that crews will strip the road and lay down new asphalt.

The design phase is expected to last until late spring. The city said residents can expect efforts for community outreach in the next few months. They will also be able to sign up for updates once the Mykawa Road project is posted on either the Build Houston Forward or Engage Houston websites.

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