A 700-foot stretch of Cravens Road near an industrial railroad crossing will become one-way after Missouri City City Council approved the change on Aug. 3 as part of its consent agenda, targeting a location where 11 crashes, including seven involving trains striking 18-wheelers, have been reported since 2021.

The ordinance redesignates Cravens Road from U.S. Highway 90A northwest to the nearest private driveway as one-way in the northwesterly direction only. The Texas Department of Transportation is funding the $500,000 project and plans to begin collecting bids in spring 2027, according to Community Impact Newspaper.

City Engineer Vincenzo Corazza told council at the July 20 first-reading meeting that seven train collisions involving 18-wheelers were reported at the at-grade railroad crossing between 2021 and 2025, Community Impact reported. The Missouri City Police Department reported four additional crashes at the same location.

The vote was unanimous.

All seven members voted in favor on a motion by Councilmember Joanna Ouderkirk, seconded by Councilmember Sharita L. Thompson: Mayor Robin J. Elackatt, Mayor Pro Tem Lynn Clouser, Councilmembers Sonya Brown-Marshall, Monica Riley, Thompson, Ouderkirk and Floyd Emery, according to council meeting minutes.

The ordinance had a lengthy path to passage. Staff pulled the second reading from a May 18 regular meeting, and council unanimously postponed the first reading at a May 18 special meeting on a motion by District A Councilmember Riley, who had pushed to keep the road open to two-way traffic. Council approved the first reading on July 20 before giving final approval on Aug. 3.

"A big kudos goes out to council member Riley ... she laid down her gauntlet and she did what she could to do her best to keep this road open," Councilmember Brown-Marshall said at the July 20 meeting. "But in the end, we know that this is what is best for our citizens."

TxDOT's spring 2027 bid timeline means construction could begin later that year, though no completion date has been announced. Residents can track the project's progress at future Missouri City City Council meetings, which are posted on the city's CivicWeb portal.