Several new road projects are on the drawing boards throughout The Woodlands and the county for 2010, from the widening of Interstate 45 in northern Montgomery County to the expansion of major thoroughfares in The Woodlands.
The eastbound lanes of the expanded Woodlands Parkway are scheduled to open by the end of the year, with the westbound lanes to follow in by the spring of 2010.
“The eastbound lanes should be open by the end of the year,” said Alex Sutton, co-president of The Woodlands Development Co. “The westbound lanes should be open by the spring. We ran into issues with the westbound lanes, like fiber optic cables.”
Woodlands Parkway is being expanded to six lanes between E. Panther Creek Drive to Kuykendahl Road.
Research Forest Drive will be widened to six lanes between Interstate 45 to west of Gosling Road. While many county road projects have been delayed awaiting a new road bond issue, Precinct 3 Commissioner Ed Chance plans to proceed with this project in 2010.
Kuykendahl Road will be widened near Creekside Park Village from south of Augusta Pines Drive to south of Spring Creek as part of a joint project with Harris County.
The project will include widening the roadway with a combination of two and four lanes and will include a large, treed median. In keeping with the “feel of The Woodlands planned community,” the road will include 50 foot forest preserves on each side of the road.
“Kuykendahl Road, from south of Augusta Pines Drive to south of Spring Creek, falls within this reach and the WDC (The Woodlands Development Co.) was interested in maintaining the “feel of a Woodlands planned community” within Harris County,” said Pamela Rocchi, project coordinator for the Capital Improvements Project Division in Harris County Precinct 4. “Therefore, WDC dedicated the additional right of way needed to upgrade Kuykendahl Road according to WDC’s development plans.”
Traffic lights are also planned on Kuykendahl Road at Creekside Forest Drive and Augusta Pines Drive.
Harris County Precinct 4 will pay up to $5.6 million for the project, while The Woodlands Road Utility District will dedicate $2.8 million toward construction and pay for engineering and design services. The project is expected to go to bid in January.
The upgrades to Kuykendahl Road in The Woodlands are part of a larger plan to expand the thoroughfare in Harris County. The road will be widened to five lanes, featuring a continuous center turn lane, between FM 2920 and Augusta Pine Drive. A traffic light also will be added a Hufsmith Road. This project is expected to go to bid by May.
There are two projects under way on FM 1488. Construction is under way to widen the road between Texas 242 and Interstate 45. A construction contract recently was awarded to expand the road between FM 2978 and Mostyn Road.
“Any time you expand any roadway, you provide relief and mobility to a congestion problem,” said Mark Mooney, director of engineering for Montgomery County. Hopefully, these project will resolve some of those issues and as the county continue to grow, we will be build more roads. We will continue to chase that problem.”
Another major road project in central Montgomery County will provide easier access between FM 1488 and Texas 105, creating another north-south alternative to Interstate 45.
Construction is expected to begin in January on an overpass on the Fish Creek Thoroughfare at FM 2854. The overpass will open an easy corridor between 105 and 1488, providing a 10-15 minute trip to get from Lake Conroe to The Woodlands. The route will use McCaleb Road between FM 2854 to access Texas 105.
“It will improve mobility in this part of the county and another corridor parallel to I-45,” said Commissioner Craig Doyal. “It will provide an alternate hurricane route.
On Interstate 45, construction is scheduled to begin two segments in March 2010. The road will be widened to eight lanes – four each northbound and southbound, between Loop 336 N and FM 830 and between FM 830 and Calvary Road. The third and final segment from Calvary road to the county line, has not yet be set, said Tesfaye Mesfin, assistant area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation, Montgomery County office.
ON THE ROAD
The Woodlands
Woodlands Parkway Expansion, East Panther Creek to Kuykendahl, six lanes
Research Forest, Interstsae-45 to west of Gosling, six lanes
Kuykendahl Road, south of Spring Creek to south of Augusta Pines, two to four lanes, with large median and a traffic light at Creekside Forest Drive
Harris County
Kuykendahl Road, Augusta Pine to FM 2920, five lanes, with new lights at Augusta Pines Drive and Hufsmith Road
Montgomery County
FM 1488, from Interstate 45 to Texas 242
FM 1488, from FM 2978 to Mostyn Road
Fish Creek Thoroughfare, bridge at FM 2978, provides easy access between FM 1488 and Texas 105
I-45, from Loop 336 north to Calvary Road, eight lanes.
Source: Montgomery and Harris counties