Bids for Grand Parkway opened

[MaxConcrete]

Three contracts totaling $271 million were opened for the section from IH 10 to US 290.
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/insdtdot/orgchart/cmd/cserve/bidtab/sc201107.htm

It looks like these jobs will build the main lanes from FM 529 to IH 10 (approximately the south half), and the direct connector ramps at US 290.

Even though the funding is coming from dedicated highway funds, the project will be tolled.

[DeaconG]

You gotta give it to TxDOT...they definitely go BIG!  No half stepping for them!

[andytom]

Which of the links on that page are we looking for?

[J N Winkler]

The relevant projects are all on control section 3510-05 in Harris County.  The CCSJs and headline bid amounts are as follows:

*  Harris 3510-05-019--$116 million

*  Harris 3510-05-022--$32 million

*  Harris 3510-05-023--$122 million

The page Erik linked to in the OP probably gets the bid tabulations right after they are generated, but personally I find it more convenient to use the month letting pages, which are updated with the actual bid amounts relatively soon after each letting.

http://www.txdot.state.tx.us/insdtdot/orgchart/cmd/cserve/let/2011/letjul.htm

TxDOT is not done advertising US 290 contracts.  Plans are currently being uploaded for the August 2011 letting, including a 250-MB plans set for Harris 3510-05-018 (engineer's estimate of $50 million).  The biggest US 290 contract let so far is actually not anything to do with the Grand Parkway, but rather the US 290/IH 610 interchange (Harris 0271-14-271, letting of May 2011).  The award amount was about $152 million and the plans set was about 750 MB in size with over 4000 sheets.  TxDOT has not advertised a single project with a plans set this big since the BW 8/IH 10 stack in 2004, which was part of the Katy Freeway reconstruction.

Plans for all of these projects are still available through TxDOT's plans FTP server, but will be gone once they are outside the rolling six-month availability window.

[FreewayDan]

Even though the funding is coming from dedicated highway funds, the project will be tolled.

On the subject of tolls, a 13-mile stretch of Grand Parkway from F.M. 1093 to U.S. 59 will have overpasses constructed to bypass traffic lights.  The driver will face two options: (1) use the overpass and pay a toll (electronically of course, via EZ Tag) or (2) exit the parkway, save some dough and wait at the traffic light.

http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/stories/249298-toll-option-coming-to-stretch-of-grand-parkway