Houston: Fort Bend Parkway Extension

[rte66man]

The Classic Chevrolet dealership in Grapevine has blue awnings erected through much of its vehicle lot. The really long EB TX-114 to SB TX-121 ramp crosses diagonally over the car lot. The ramp itself has tall fences installed. But motorists can still throw all sorts of crap over those fences onto the vehicles below. Hence the blue awnings.

Just to clarify, those blue awnings at the dealership were there before the flyovers, I remember them in the late 2000s when I lived in McKinney and would pass through that area often. The awnings were to protect the vehicles from hail.

That's why most of the dealers in Oklahoma and Texas have some form of awning over their cars.  Cheaper to replace an awning that a car.  Only disadvantage is the birds have discovered they make a great protected perch and subsequently they poop all over the cars. Every dealer in OKC has a crew dedicated to washing the cars under the awnings first thing in the morning.

[Chris]

https://www.fbctra.com/about/

I couldn't find any news report or something on Twitter, but it appears that the extension of the Fort Bend Parkway to Sienna Ranch Road opened on November 1.

Open Street Map also shows the extension as open to traffic.

[MaxConcrete]

There is still controversy about the alignment of the Fort Bend Parkway at the Grand Parkway (SH 99), the Houston Chronicle reports today.

Though years of planning and design will precede drivers dashing along either of the tollways as they cross below Smithers Lake, the lines on the county maps will determine where all those cars and trucks will eventually go. In 2021, with little comment then or since, commissioners moved the lines, in advance of a massive development project right across FM 762 from Brazos Lakes.

As they argued as early as 2000, when their subdivision was practically brand new, Cuellar and Franson are contending the tollway should go northeast of their property, on farmland owned by The George Foundation. The foundation, politically and philanthropically active in the county for decades, long planned to donate the property for both tollways and use the enormous increase in value of its own land to guide development and continue its charity work across the county.

Woodlands-based The Signorelli Company, however, has pressed for a crossing closer to its own Austin Point development. The project, which the company says is the largest master-planned effort in the county in 40 years, broke ground last September, south of FM 762 and Brazos Lakes, where signs already herald the past and future of Fort Bend County.

"Our vision goes well beyond a master-planned community," said Danny Signorelli, president and CEO of The Signorelli Company, in a press release last year. "Our vision is to create the next great town in Texas."

Residents and officials in Fort Bend County have said the property nearest to where the tollways cross could be worth $500 million because it would be the most commercially attractive. Who receives the windfall, however, is a political rather than economic decision.

The county tollway's route will be determined by the Fort Bend Toll Road Authority, members of which are appointed by the county commissioners, who guide most road policy.

[sprjus4]

There is still controversy about the alignment of the Fort Bend Parkway at the Grand Parkway (SH 99), the Houston Chronicle reports today.

Though years of planning and design will precede drivers dashing along either of the tollways as they cross below Smithers Lake, the lines on the county maps will determine where all those cars and trucks will eventually go. In 2021, with little comment then or since, commissioners moved the lines, in advance of a massive development project right across FM 762 from Brazos Lakes.

As they argued as early as 2000, when their subdivision was practically brand new, Cuellar and Franson are contending the tollway should go northeast of their property, on farmland owned by The George Foundation. The foundation, politically and philanthropically active in the county for decades, long planned to donate the property for both tollways and use the enormous increase in value of its own land to guide development and continue its charity work across the county.

Woodlands-based The Signorelli Company, however, has pressed for a crossing closer to its own Austin Point development. The project, which the company says is the largest master-planned effort in the county in 40 years, broke ground last September, south of FM 762 and Brazos Lakes, where signs already herald the past and future of Fort Bend County.

"Our vision goes well beyond a master-planned community," said Danny Signorelli, president and CEO of The Signorelli Company, in a press release last year. "Our vision is to create the next great town in Texas."

Residents and officials in Fort Bend County have said the property nearest to where the tollways cross could be worth $500 million because it would be the most commercially attractive. Who receives the windfall, however, is a political rather than economic decision.

The county tollway's route will be determined by the Fort Bend Toll Road Authority, members of which are appointed by the county commissioners, who guide most road policy.

I see they are considering making the routing of SH-99 even more "crooked" then it already was planned to be...

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://abc13.com/post/fairchilds-neighbors-rally-toll-road-proposal-could-force-people-homes/17041151/

A new toll road coming through the village of Fairchilds? NIMBY!

[MaxConcrete]

https://abc13.com/post/fairchilds-neighbors-rally-toll-road-proposal-could-force-people-homes/17041151/

A new toll road coming through the village of Fairchilds? NIMBY!

It would have been helpful for the news report to include the map which is shown in the video.

It appears that the controversial alignment is along Psencik Road. The map view shows most land is vacant, but there are few houses.

Looking at the map in my 4-April-2024 post and  this map from a news report a year ago, it appears that the alignment has been shifted substantially south on the east end (where it exits Austin Point), which appears to introduce a substantial curve and swerve. Ugh! I hate unneeded curves and swerves.

On the plus side, it appears that FBCTRA is getting serious about finalizing the alignment of the future extension. The report says "The toll road director told ABC13 that it's working on a final proposal with Fairchilds' leaders, and they'd like to break ground in two years."

Break ground in two years? I don't think that will happen. FBCTRA hasn't even started the Fort Bend Parkway Brazos River bridge. But they do need to finalize the alignment and acquire it. That area is starting to develop rapidly so the window of opportunity is closing fast.