Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[MaxConcrete]

Construction of four direct connectors at the Tomball Tollway (SH 249) and the Grand Parkway (SH 99) in northwest Harris County has been authorized. There's no word on when work will start, but since final design still needs to be done, I'm thinking at least a year. Currently the interchange has no direct connectors, and connections are made via the frontage roads. This fairly quick move to build these connectors suggests that there must be significant demand for the connections. It appears that HCTRA will pay for the connectors.

http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2017/2017-10-24ag.pdf

Recommendation that the County Judge execute  a letter of consent for  construction of the  four  southern  direct connectors  of  the  Tomball  Tollway  and  the  Grand  Parkway, and  for  the Texas  Department  of Transportation  to  construct  SH-99  as  a  four-lane facility for the first eight miles east of IH-69 in all precincts.

Recommendation for approval of an agreement with Cobb, Fendley & Associates, Inc., in the amount of $198,000 for surveying services for the schematic refinement and final design  of  four  direct  connectors  for  the  Tomball  Tollway/Grand  Parkway  interchange in Precinct 4, and that the County Judge and appropriate officials execute the agreement

Also, it appears that the missing section of the Fort Bend Parkway Tollway between Loop 610 and US 90A may be taken out of hold status and reactivated. The intersection at Willowbend and South Post Oak is always backed up when I pass through, and I'm always there off-peak. So I'm thinking rush-hour conditions may be quite bad, and the toll lanes are needed. Updating the schematic is the first step toward construction, with no assurance that construction will actually occur.

http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2017/2017-09-26ag.pdf

Recommendation  for  authorization  to  negotiate  an  agreement  with  Brown  &  Gay Engineers,  Inc.,  for  design  services  to  update  the  schematic  plan  for  the  Fort  Bend Parkway extension, Phase II project in Precinct 1

[Perfxion]

For 249 and 99, both were being built at the same time. Should have put those connectors in with original construction.

[rte66man]

For 249 and 99, both were being built at the same time. Should have put those connectors in with original construction.

Not if the demand wasn't there.  The decision made was fiscally prudent.

[Perfxion]

It going to be a traffic nightmare. They still need to put total ramp movements at 99 and 45 as well.

[MaxConcrete]

The contract to update the schematic for the section of the Fort Bend Parkway between Loop 610 and US 90A is slated to be approved next week.
http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2018/2018-02-27ag.pdf

Brown  &  Gay  Engineers,  Inc.,  in  the  amount  of  $870,000  to  evaluate  and  prepare schematic plans for the alignment of the Fort Bend Parkway Extension, Phase II project
from US-90A to IH-610 in Precinct 1.

[nguyenhm16]

The contract to update the schematic for the section of the Fort Bend Parkway between Loop 610 and US 90A is slated to be approved next week.
http://www.harriscountytx.gov/agenda/2018/2018-02-27ag.pdf

Brown  &  Gay  Engineers,  Inc.,  in  the  amount  of  $870,000  to  evaluate  and  prepare schematic plans for the alignment of the Fort Bend Parkway Extension, Phase II project
from US-90A to IH-610 in Precinct 1.

About time. That toll road made little sense without connecting directly to 610. Otherwise you'd be paying money to sit at the lights at the 610/Main intersection.

[Bobby5280]

It looks like the only feasible thing that can be done is building an elevated 4-lane toll road over Post Oak Road from Belfort Ave (where the current freeway stub from I-610 ends) down to US-90A. The segment of US-90A between Chimney Rock Road and Post Oak Road would need elevated toll lanes as well to connect into the current North end of the Fort Bend Parkway.

[TXtoNJ]

It looks like the only feasible thing that can be done is building an elevated 4-lane toll road over Post Oak Road from Belfort Ave (where the current freeway stub from I-610 ends) down to US-90A. The segment of US-90A between Chimney Rock Road and Post Oak Road would need elevated toll lanes as well to connect into the current North end of the Fort Bend Parkway.

Wouldn't be surprised if it were a placed in a cut of some sort, in order to minimize community impact, allow for parallel free capacity on cantilevered lanes, and provide for detention during flood events.

[Bobby5280]

Where would you be able to dig a trench between the current end of the Fort Bend Parkway and the stub coming off the corner of I-610? It will be interesting to see what schematics the planners develop. Given some of the recent history of flooding in that part of Houston I doubt they'll come up with a concept involving a below grade trench. Lots of people dislike elevated highways, but they're a necessary evil in some places. If I recall correctly the Grand Parkway portion going through Kemah will have to be elevated above TX-146.

[TXtoNJ]

You'd close off the Post Oak mainlanes south of Bellfort, start the depressed roadway there while keeping traffic on the current feeders, and continue from there, shifting traffic to one side of the existing Post Oak while excavation, stabilization and construction continued on the other. I'd imagine that the roadway would be a 2x2 with Post Oak cantilevered on the other side, similar to portions of Westpark over the Westpark Tollway.

The biggest engineering challenge would be handling the crossing with the Willow Waterhole Bayou. They might just depress the mainlanes underneath the channel, though.

Flooding would be the reason for the design - since this would be a reduplication of an existing surface route, there isn't the issue of cutting off areas from the national network. Therefore, you'd want the depressed freeway for its detention capacity, since any other option would likely increase impervious cover and require detention ponds, which would increase takings costs.

[MaxConcrete]

https://agenda.harriscountytx.gov/2018/2018-09-25ag.pdf

HCTRA is slated to award or start negotiation for design contracts next week for direct connectors at three interchanges

SH 225 (Laporte Freeway) at Beltway 8/Sam Houston Tollway: all 8 connectors for the complete interchange

SH 99 Grand Parkway at SH 249: Contracts appear to be for 6 direct connectors (unless there are multiple contracts for two connectors). I was thinking that the plan was for the south half of the interchange, but now I'm thinking that all four "left turn" connectors are included, plus two "right turn" connectors.

Hardy Toll Road at Beltway 8: 3 direct connectors

I'm thinking construction contracts will start being awarded in 12-18 months.