Harris County Secures $29.25M for Chimney Rock Flood Control, Safety Upgrades

Harris County Precinct 4 and its partners won roughly $29.25 million in federal Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation funding to rebuild the Chimney Rock corridor between U.S. 59 and Westheimer, a move officials say targets long-standing flooding and safety problems in one of the county's vulnerable corridors. The package focuses on reconstructing the drainage system and adding detention improvements at Anderson Park, with pedestrian and street-safety upgrades including new curbs, wider sidewalks and improved crossings.

The corridor serves about 2,400 residents, more than half of whom are low- to moderate-income, making the project both a resilience and equity effort. By enlarging drainage capacity and adding detention at Anderson Park, county engineers expect fewer flash floods that have repeatedly damaged homes, stranded vehicles and prompted emergency responses. The safety upgrades are intended to improve walkability for local residents and reduce collisions at crossings along a busy stretch between the Southwest Freeway and Westheimer.

County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the funding package on January 15, 2026, capping a coordination effort that reached across federal, state, county and local redevelopment partners. That unanimous vote signals political backing at the county level, but the multi-jurisdictional nature of CDBG-Mitigation projects means officials will need to navigate design review, permitting and interagency agreements before work can begin.

Construction is not expected to start for about a year, leaving a planning window for final designs, contractor selection and environmental or permitting steps required by the federal mitigation grant. That timeline gives officials time to refine traffic control plans, minimize disruption to local businesses and residents and align park improvements at Anderson Park with neighborhood needs, but it also creates a period when residents will need transparent updates on milestones and schedules.

For Harris County taxpayers and residents in the Chimney Rock corridor, the project promises concrete reductions in flood risk and improved pedestrian safety, outcomes that affect property damage, insurance exposure and everyday mobility. The concentration of low- to moderate-income households in the project area raises expectations that benefits will be equitably delivered and that construction impacts will be mitigated for those most vulnerable.

Next steps include the design and permitting process over the coming year and coordination among federal and local partners to translate the grant into on-the-ground work. Residents should follow county communications for project timelines, planned detours and community meetings as officials move from funding approval toward construction.