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.

[MaxConcrete]

Work has begun on sections B3 and B4, which is the extension going southwest from the current terminus at Sienna Ranch Road and crossing the Brazos River. Map location

The contractor, Webber, began work in January and right-of-way clearing is in progress, which mainly consists of removing all the trees and brush.

I am not able to find the contract amount online.

Full size


This view looks east at the current terminus. Very preliminary work for a new overpass is visible.
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[MaxConcrete]

I've been looking for a final alignment map of the Fort Bend Parkway sections C and D for a long time. The documents for the July FBCTRA board meeting have the alignment.

As expected, the alignment is unnecessarily curving and swerving, with an inexplicable dip to the south. Even the straight-ish part of section C (between the Brazos River and lake) has a lot of shimmy. There are two big real estate developers in this area, George Ranch and Signorelli. As is often the case in Texas, they have a lot of influence. If they want a certain alignment for their plans, they are accommodated even if it results in an inefficient alignment.

The western terminus of the toll road is at SH 36 and Gerken Road. I speculated in the separate 36A thread that the new alternative 9 (not yet publicly revealed) for 36A may connect to this point.

Full size section C


Full size section D


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[ElishaGOtis]

I've been looking for a final alignment map of the Fort Bend Parkway sections C and D for a long time. The documents for the July FBCTRA board meeting have the alignment.

As expected, the alignment is unnecessarily curving and swerving, with an inexplicable dip to the south. Even the straight-ish part of section C (between the Brazos River and lake) has a lot of shimmy. There are two big real estate developers in this area, George Ranch and Signorelli. As is often the case in Texas, they have a lot of influence. If they want a certain alignment for their plans, they are accommodated even if it results in an inefficient alignment.

The western terminus of the toll road is at SH 36 and Gerken Road. I speculated in the separate 36A thread that the new alternative 9 (not yet publicly revealed) for 36A may connect to this point.

Full size section C


Full size section D


Full size full length

Ehh, I've seen worse... as long as they keep a valid design speed I'm ok with it.

[CoreySamson]

Here's a view (as of last night) looking EB at the proposed terminus with TX 36 ("End Seg D" on the map), at the new TX 36/Spur 10 interchange that is under construction:



I didn't get a picture, but I was able to see that the overpass, while not open yet, is striped and basically ready to go. I wonder if they will open it soon or wait until the new four-lane TX 36 facility is open in Needville.

[thisdj78]

Here's a view (as of last night) looking EB at the proposed terminus with TX 36 ("End Seg D" on the map), at the new TX 36/Spur 10 interchange that is under construction:



I didn't get a picture, but I was able to see that the overpass, while not open yet, is striped and basically ready to go. I wonder if they will open it soon or wait until the new four-lane TX 36 facility is open in Needville.

So, the FT Bend Pkwy will continue past SH36 as Spur 10?   

I wonder if Spur 10 eventually cross Brazos River and connect with Texas Heritage Pkwy? Seems like it would be a nice continuous corridor.

[MaxConcrete]

Houston Business Journal reports today that Tesla is preparing to build a $10.1 billion solar cell factory near the intersection of the Fort Bend Parkway and Grand Parkway.

This explains all the recent activity on both the Fort Bend Parkway and Grand Parkway section C. Grand Parkway section C is listed in the TxDOT project dashboard for contract award in 2028, which is surprisingly fast since TxDOT took over the project in May.

Musk's business empire made another big move — it filed for tax breaks for a potential $10.1 billion solar cell manufacturing plant west of Houston.
The factory would be sited near the intersection of FM 1994 and FM 762 in Fort Bend County, south of Sugar Land, Richmond and Rosenberg. The application was filed under the name "Project Crystal Sun."

"The proposed facility would be expected to manufacture photovoltaic solar cells and/or assembled solar modules, which are components used to convert sunlight into electricity," Tesla said in its application. "Operations at the proposed facility would focus on producing finished photovoltaic products for deployment in utility-scale, commercial, and distributed solar installations."

According to the JETI application, the plant would begin operations in 2029.

Tesla disclosed the five land parcels it wants for the project, which appear to span more than 3,000 acres, according to the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District.

Wow! 3000 acres - that's 4.7 square miles

I found a map of the proposed site and I overlaid it on the Fort Bend County Parkway segment D. It shows that the parkway goes through the middle of the property, and this explains the southward dip in the alignment that I complained about in a previous post.

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[MaxConcrete]

This map is included in the agenda for Monday's board meeting of the Fort Bend Toll Road Authority.

It's dated February 2026 and two map items are already incorrect

• Grand Parkway sections C-1 and C-2 are no longer FBCTRA projects. TxDOT recently took control of that section.
• The alignment shown for 36A is not correct south of US 90A. The alignment shown corresponds to alternative 8A at the recent public meeting, and south of US 90A the alignment is shifted southwest

Aside from those two errors, this map shows the long-term plan for new toll roads and freeways in Fort Bend County. Tesla's proposed massive Crystal Sun project is at the intersection of SH 99 and the Fort Bend Parkway using most of the green rectangular area southwest of the intersection.

What's news to me is the plan to extend Texas Heritage Parkway over the Brazos River to connect with SH 36 and US 90A. The bridge over the Brazos River is shown as a toll bridge.

Full size

[MaxConcrete]

At Monday's meeting of the board of the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority, there was discussion of a change in the alignment of the Fort Bend Parkway west of the intersection with the Grand Parkway (SH 99).

This is the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court agenda item with maps. It looks like the Fort Bend County Thoroughfare plan was not officially updated to include the deep southward dip shown in the map I posted previously.
The good news is that the new alignment is much more direct. (Yay!) Arterial streets have been removed from the proposed Tesla site. As noted in the agenda item, these changes could be reversed if the Tesla project does not proceed.

The purple shaded area is the Tesla investment zone. Full size


For reference, here is the alignment shown in recent documents of the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority. full size