By Thompson                                            H.B. No. 691

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the erection of sound barrier walls along certain parts

 1-3     of Interstate Highway 610 in Houston.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  As soon as practical, the Texas Department of

 1-6     Transportation shall erect  sound barrier walls along the west side

 1-7     of Interstate 610 in Houston, from a point approximately 1/2 mile

 1-8     south of the intersection of Interstate Highway 610 and Interstate

 1-9     Highway 10 on the east side of Houston extending to a point located

1-10     approximately five-eighths of a mile to the south and along the

1-11     north side  of Interstate 610 in Houston, from the west side of

1-12     Yale on the North side of Houston extending approximately 2-1/2

1-13     miles to a point to the west located on the east side of East T.C.

1-14     Jester, not to interfere with access to commercial businesses or

1-15     buildings.  The sound barrier shall be designed to reduce highway

1-16     noise for residences located in the vicinity of Interstate 610 on

1-17     the following streets in Houston:  Laurentide, Candy, Fannette,

1-18     Berndale, Tilgham, Cowart, Wiggins, Pattibob, Josie, Flossie Mae,

1-19     Othello, Quaker, Guinivere, West 30th, West 31st, West 32nd, West

1-20     33rd, West 34th, Lawrence, Randall, Attridge, Dunsmere, Gardendale,

1-21     Bevis, Ansbury, Wilde Rock Way, Stonecrest, Guese, Topham,

1-22     Moonstone, Carlford Circle, Bron Holly, and Piney Woods.

1-23           SECTION 2.  It is the intent of the legislature that this

1-24     directive not be construed as, nor constitute the establishment of,

 2-1     a program for type 2 projects for noise abatement on existing

 2-2     federal-aid highways pursuant to 23 C.F.R. Part 772.

 2-3           SECTION 3.  To accomplish the purposes of this Act, the

 2-4     department may not use funds that the department has assigned to a

 2-5     district other than the district in which the highways described by

 2-6     this Act are located.

 2-7           SECTION 4.  As soon as practical, the Texas Department of

 2-8     Transportation shall conduct a cost-benefit study of the

 2-9     construction of a sound barrier wall to reduce highway noise for

2-10     residences located west of Interstate Highway 610 southward from

2-11     the Braeswood Boulevard exit, including the South Post Oak exit,

2-12     which must include a study of the effectiveness of existing sound

2-13     barrier walls along the right-of-way at that location.

2-14           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-19     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-20     passage, and it is so enacted.