Attendees at the November 19 luncheon hosted by the Highway 36A coalition heard a brief update on the project from Sue Theiss, director for advanced project development for TxDOT. The event was held at the Rosenberg Civic Center at 3825 Highway 36 in Rosenberg.

Theiss, reminding the audience that the Highway 36A expansion project is divided into two segments, said that scoping meetings were held for the south segment in August 2025, with 300 in- person participants at the two meetings and about 600 comments submitted during the comment period. Eight possible routes were presented during those meetings, which are now in the process of being narrowed down to three. Theiss said that one of the most common questions coming out of the meetings was about the possible alignments, and why none of the alternatives utilized existing roadways. She said that the three final alternatives for alignments will include one that utilizes a portion of existing alignments. Those are expected to be presented in about a year, she said.

The contracts for 36A north have now been signed, Theiss said, with a kickoff meeting planned for the afternoon of November 19. She said that public scoping meetings for that portion of the project would probably take place before the end of 2026.

Theis said she was asked about the Highway 36 project which is to head south through Rosenberg from US 59/69. The letting date for that project will be January 2030, she said, and nothing will probably happen on that project until the spring of 2030.

The keynote speaker was James Bright, Deputy Director of Texas A&M’s RELLIS Campus, who detailed the programs underway at the “innovation and tech campus.” He described RELLIS as a “collaborative ecosystem built to foster advanced research, technology development, testing and evaluation, higher education, and hands-on career training.”

RELLIS is different due to its state-of-the-art facilities and accompanying programs essential to research and development, all in one location. It has state-of-the-art proving grounds, access to resources from all twelve universities in the A&M system and eight state agencies, and a culture of entrepreneurial commercialization. RELLIS conducts research on autonomous and connected vehicles, robotics, hypersonics and advanced manufacturing, among other areas, he said.

RELLIS offers two- and four-year degrees, workforce development, professional certifications, internships, fellowships and curricla development.