How Roads Get Built and Repaired in Houston

The roads you drive on in Houston are maintained by at least four different entities — and which one is responsible depends on which road you are on. The City of Houston, Harris County, TxDOT, and the Toll Road Authority each own and maintain different roads, often right next to each other. This is why some roads get fixed quickly and others stay broken for years — they belong to different governments with different budgets and priorities.

Source: City of Houston Public Works; TxDOT Houston; Harris County Precinct offices

Who owns what:

• City of Houston — local streets inside city limits. The largest road network: 16,000+ lane miles. Responsible for potholes, resurfacing, sidewalks, and traffic signals on city streets. Funded by the city budget and bond programs.
• Harris County — roads in unincorporated Harris County and some major roads inside city limits. Each Commissioner Precinct (1-4) manages roads in their area.
• TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) — freeways (I-10, I-45, I-69/US-59, Beltway 8 mainlanes, SH-288) and state highways. Construction and maintenance funded by state gas tax and federal highway funds.
• Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) — Hardy Toll Road, Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8 tolled lanes), Fort Bend Toll Road, Westpark Tollway. Funded entirely by toll revenue.

How to tell who maintains your road: Generally, if it has a freeway number (I-10, US-59), it is TxDOT. If it is a toll road, it is HCTRA. If it is a local street, it is the city or county. When in doubt, call 311 — they will route you to the right entity.

Source: City of Houston Public Works; TxDOT; Harris County

Report a pothole or road damage:

• City street: Call 311 or file at houston311.org. Include the exact intersection and a photo. Response time: 3-7 business days for potholes.
• County road: Call your Commissioner Precinct office. Find your precinct at harriscountytx.gov.
• Freeway/state highway: Call TxDOT Houston at 713-802-5000 or report at txdot.gov.
• Toll road: Call HCTRA at 713-587-7800.

Report a broken traffic signal:

• City signals: call 311
• Signal out completely (all dark): call 911 — this is a safety hazard

Sidewalk repair:

• City sidewalks: file a 311 request. The city has a sidewalk repair program but prioritizes by ADA complaints and school routes.

Report road problems:

• City streets: 311 | houston311.org
• TxDOT Houston: 713-802-5000
• HCTRA (toll roads): 713-587-7800

Track projects:

• City of Houston capital projects: publicworks.houstontx.gov
• TxDOT Houston projects: txdot.gov/projects/houston