Houston: SH 249 Toll extension

[Bobby5280]

BUMP

Google Earth has some brand new imagery of the TX-249 toll road construction, along with quite a bit of new imagery in the Northern reaches of the Houston metro. The entire path of the TX-249 extension is now visible all the way to the intersection with TX-105 a few miles East of Navasota.

The latest imagery is dated 1/18/2020. Some imagery farther South is dated 12/1/2019.

Forest clearing and grading work is well underway West of the intersection with FM-1774 and up to TX-105. It looks obvious that section will start out as an upgrade-able 2-lane facility. East of FM-1774 it expands to a dual carriageway format. Some odd sights can be seen, like toll gate gantries already built when everything around them is a bunch of dredged up mud.

The section East of the FM-1486 section is pretty far along. I wouldn't be surprised if it opened before the end of 2020.

[MaxConcrete]

I drove to the area today and the toll road still ends at Woodtrace. The next overpass looks like it is ready to open - the pavement is striped. But north of the split from the existing alignment, there is still at least a couple months of work. Below is a view looking north at FM 149

[Chris]

https://communityimpact.com/houston/tomball-magnolia/transportation/2020/06/26/next-phase-of-hwy-249-opening-slated-for-july/

The next lanes of the Hwy. 249 tolled extension through Montgomery County are expected to be substantially complete July 15, according to information shared with the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce Mobility and Transportation Committee in June.

(...)

Future portions of the project from FM 1488 to FM 1774 and from FM 1774 to Hwy. 105 are tentatively set to be completed in January 2021 and summer 2023, according to the chamber of commerce presentation. TxDOT representatives did not respond to requests to confirm the timeline.

[bluecountry]

1) Why is the connection between 99 and 249 being made now and not at the start?
2)  Why is it not all directions, just some?

[TXtoNJ]

1) Why is the connection between 99 and 249 being made now and not at the start?
2)  Why is it not all directions, just some?

Both questions have the same answer: $$$

[bluecountry]

1) Why is the connection between 99 and 249 being made now and not at the start?
2)  Why is it not all directions, just some?

Both questions have the same answer: $$$

That's odd, would seem to me of all the interchanges, this one would be the highest priority to have it in all directions.

[sprjus4]

1) Why is the connection between 99 and 249 being made now and not at the start?
2)  Why is it not all directions, just some?

Both questions have the same answer: $$$

That's odd, would seem to me of all the interchanges, this one would be the highest priority to have it in all directions.

What's he's saying is it costs less to construct only a partial interchange vs. a full one.

[rte66man]

1) Why is the connection between 99 and 249 being made now and not at the start?
2)  Why is it not all directions, just some?

Both questions have the same answer: $$$

That's odd, would seem to me of all the interchanges, this one would be the highest priority to have it in all directions.

What's he's saying is it costs less to construct only a partial interchange vs. a full one.

Traffic counts don't mandate them.  Once the demand is there, they will be added. Have to be prudent with spending.

[TXtoNJ]

249 (HCTRA) and 99 (TxDOT) are operated and maintained by different agencies. Neither are particularly inclined to bust their budgets on expensive interchanges, especially when a free one (maintained by TxDOT) exists.

[bluecountry]

249 to 1488 is opening up 8/8, and will be free until fall:

https://communityimpact.com/houston/tomball-magnolia/transportation/2020/08/05/txdot-opening-date-set-for-next-tolled-segment-of-hwy-249-in-magnolia/?type=article&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsletter_article

[MaxConcrete]

The northbound lanes were open when I drove to the area just before 1 o'clock. The southbound entrance at FM 1488 was still closed, but I could see they were about to remove the barricades, so I waited a few minutes and then returned southbound.

There's nothing remarkable or new to report that has not been mentioned in previous posts. The corridor is entirely clear-cut, with no native trees remaining, and the median is narrow, so there is a wire rope barrier. I would prefer to see a wider median with native vegetation retained, which is done in most other states.

The pavement grooves are parallel to the tires, but my car was producing a periodic low hum tire noise which I have not heard on any other roads.

These three photos are northbound







This photo is southbound at the first entrance ramp south of FM 1488. There was a long section of frontage road before this ramp.

[sprjus4]

I would prefer to see a wider median with native vegetation retained, which is done in most other states.

From aerial imagery, it's about 48 ft which is typical. A lot of states might get up to 50 or 60 ft, but few go above. Louisiana and Arkansas have recently opened portions of I-49 with medians close to 100 ft, along with I-269 in Mississippi. At least it's not a paved 22 ft median with concrete barrier.

[bluecountry]

Now, when the road goes through Grimes county, what do they mean by it will be a two lane rural highway?

[sprjus4]

Now, when the road goes through Grimes county, what do they mean by it will be a two lane rural highway?

It will be a two lane rural highway...

[Bobby5280]

TX-249 will drop down to a 2 lane route West of the intersection with FM-1774. I think it's going to be 2 lanes from there up to the intersection with TX-105. It will have enough ROW and be built in such a manner that the second set of lanes can be added later.

[Perfxion]

Now, when the road goes through Grimes county, what do they mean by it will be a two lane rural highway?

Since it will be toll free, its going to be a two lane road. With room to make it 4 lanes in the future.....if they can toll it.

[Bobby5280]

Why wouldn't they put toll gates on it? TX-49 around Tyler is a 2-lane toll road.

[bluecountry]

Now, when the road goes through Grimes county, what do they mean by it will be a two lane rural highway?

Since it will be toll free, its going to be a two lane road. With room to make it 4 lanes in the future.....if they can toll it.

Will there be at grade, signaled intersections?

[sprjus4]

^

IIRC either at grade intersections with minor roads, or full grade separation on 2 lane.

[FreewayDan]

^

IIRC either at grade intersections with minor roads, or full grade separation on 2 lane.

The latest TxDOT schematics (as of late 2019) show that the two-lane segment of SH 249 in Grimes County will have exits:
http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot/get-involved/bry/sh-249/SH249_Schematics.pdf

[bluecountry]

^

IIRC either at grade intersections with minor roads, or full grade separation on 2 lane.

The latest TxDOT schematics (as of late 2019) show that the two-lane segment of SH 249 in Grimes County will have exits:
http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot/get-involved/bry/sh-249/SH249_Schematics.pdf

Thanks, though I hate schematics, wish there was a an actual sketch/landscape.
So is it going to be a median separated 1 lane road in each direction with grade separated intersections?

[sprjus4]

So is it going to be a median separated 1 lane road in each direction with grade separated intersections?

No, it's a two-lane road. One 12 foot lane in each direction with 10 foot right paved shoulders. Effectively a super-2. The center line will likely be broken for a lot of the length to allow passing, like any other two-lane rural road.

[Bobby5280]

They have a really strange lane configuration planned for how TX-249 will merge into TX-105. The TX-105 lanes will split apart to allow the 2-lane TX-249 road to merge down into the middle of it.

I don't know how they'll update this merge setup with TX-105 when the time comes to add the second set of lanes to TX-249. That time will come in fairly short order. There's also no way for Westbound TX-105 traffic to enter TX-249 Southbound (same goes for NB TX-249 to EB TX-105). I guess those movements would also be added later. This intersection will eventually have to be a freeway to freeway interchange. The TX-249 super highway will need to be able to maintain limited access all the way to the TX-6 corridor in Navasota. Sections of TX-105 between Navasota, Conroe and Cleveland will need limited access improvements, if not an entire super highway corridor along or near TX-105.

[Revive 755]

^ So there's greater progress on getting a freeway grade facility between Houston and Waco than between Houston and Austin?

[Bobby5280]

The super highway corridor is going to be more like Houston to College Station. It's sort of like US-290 being a freeway West of Houston out to Hempstead, but not the rest of the way to Austin.

I'm all for improving TX-6 into a freeway all the way up to Waco. It would give Fort Worth residents a more direct, all limited access path to Houston -an alternative to I-45. Fort Worth just alone has nearly 900,000 residents. Obviously Austin needs at least one all limited access link directly to Houston as well (even more than Fort Worth).