Businesses and residents in Houston’s EaDo say overlapping construction projects are hurting access and traffic ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
HOUSTON — Houston’s East Downtown neighborhood is dealing with what some business owners call a construction nightmare as multiple road closures and redevelopment projects converge ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Among those feeling the impact is Koffeteria, a popular pastry shop in EaDo that says ongoing construction is cutting into customer traffic and creating confusion for visitors trying to reach the business.
“There’s a huge perception image that it’s difficult to get here, and they’re not wrong,” Andreas Hager, operations manager of Koffeteria said. “A year ago we were twice as busy,” Vanarin Kuch, pastry chef and owner told KHOU 11.
Construction tied to the FIFA Fan Festival, TxDOT’s I-45 expansion project, and private redevelopment projects have created detours and street closures throughout the area, including along Hutchins Street and St. Emanuel Street.
Residents say navigating the neighborhood has become increasingly difficult.
“I have to be very deliberate about where I walk because not every street is accessible anymore,” one resident told KHOU 11.
Just outside Koffeteria’s front door, drivers and pedestrians encounter barricades connected to nearby projects, including work along Polk Street and preparations for the FIFA Fan Festival site.
Business owners say the uncertainty surrounding timelines and access has made it difficult to plan staffing and operations.
“We’re being asked to plan for an event that we don’t actually have potentials to predict for,” Hager said. “We’re hiring ahead, our bottom line is already at a loss,” Kuch added.
Still, local leaders say relief could be coming soon.
East Downtown Management District executive director Elizabeth Whitton said many major projects are expected to wrap up soon.
“A substantial amount of the construction projects are ending prior to the start of the World Cup in June,” Whitton said.
In a statement to KHOU 11, the Texas Department of Transportation said it regularly coordinates with the East Downtown Management District and East Downtown Redevelopment Authority to address concerns from businesses and residents.
TxDOT said business owners can find updates about current and upcoming I-45 closures through the I-45 Project website. Concerns can also be submitted to nhhip.ombudsman@txdot.gov.
Koffeteria owners say what is still missing is a centralized, real-time source of information for closures and access changes.
“Right now there’s information coming from several different sources, and I haven’t seen anything compiled in terms of real time,” Hager said. “We basically need the Whataburger [map] equivalent for when Hurricane Beryl knocked out all the electricity,” Kuch said.
Despite the ongoing disruptions, business owners say they remain hopeful customers will continue supporting local establishments during construction.
“We’re really trying to put forward food that is exciting to us, that we feel like Houstonians can’t afford to miss,” Hager said.
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