John Tyler, deputy director of engineering at the Harris County Toll Road Authority, gave an update on roadways in the area at the Oct. 7 North Houston Association meeting.[/caption]
After Phase 1 of the Tomball Tollway opened in April, final design plans are moving forward for the $175 million Phase 2 portion in Harris County. Phase 2 will extend the Hwy. 249 toll lanes 1.5 miles north of FM 2920 to the Harris County line at Spring Creek.
“Phase 1 seems to be doing well out there,” said John Tyler, deputy director of engineering for the Harris County Toll Road Authority. “[Traffic counts are] a little above what we were projecting in its early years.”
Tyler presented an update on the status of the roadway project at the Oct. 7 North Houston Association transportation meeting. Tomball Tollway Phase 2 is expected to begin construction in Harris County in late 2016 or early 2017.
“In late 2016, HCTRA is expected to seek Commissioners Court approval to begin advertising for contractor bids,” Tyler said. “We construct what’s out there as frontage roads, and we construct the mainlanes, so it’s going to take us a little longer than what it did for Phase 1. The estimated time of completion and opening is early 2019.”
In November, the stormwater quality program will begin along Tomball Tollway Phase 1, which includes the installation of landscaping, Tyler said.
In preparation for Phase 2 construction, HCTRA is working with the city of Tomball and the Harris County Flood Control District to improve drainage and detention ponds in the area, Tyler said.
“TxDOT built the [FM 2920] overpass and did improvements on Hwy. 249,” Tyler said. “They built detention ponds but didn’t have outfalls to them. Now we’re coming in and doing our improvements, and we have to take care of that.”
With final project design set to begin this fall, plans are on track for Montgomery County's portion of the
Phase 2 Hwy. 249 extension to begin construction through Pinehurst in April 2017.
In addition, the Texas Department of Transportation plans to fund the
construction of phases 3 and 4 of the Hwy. 249 extension project, which will extend the tollway about 26 miles from Hwy. 249 near FM 149 in Pinehurst to Hwy. 105 near Navasota in Grimes County.
“It’ll be nice out there to get all of that in place,” Tyler said. “I’m not sure what the traffic demands will be when [Phase 2] opens, but it’s going to be a nice facility for everybody who lives up that way.”
Commissioners Court approval
During the Oct. 13 Harris County Commissioners Court meeting, the commissioners approved a $400,000 engineering services contract with AECOM Technical Services Inc. for Tomball Tollway Phase 2 in Harris County.
Commissioners Court also approved a $325,000 contract with Amani Engineering, Inc. for signing and pavement marking plans for mainlanes, frontage roads and cross streets from south of FM 2920 in Harris County to just north of Spring Creek.
EZ TAG
Beginning in December, Tyler said residents and visitors will be able purchase EZ TAGs for their vehicles through retail stores, such as H-E-B, in addition to ordering them
online and at EZ TAG
locations. The Tomball Tollway, the Grand Parkway and several other new roadways in the area are EZ TAG-only facilities.
“You can go in and buy a tag, but you still need to go on our website to activate it,” Tyler said. “It will allow you to not have to go to an EZ TAG store if you don’t want to or wait if you buy it online through the mail, which takes five to 10 days.”
John Tyler, deputy director of engineering at the Harris County Toll Road Authority, gave an update on roadways in the area at the Oct. 7 North Houston Association meeting.[/caption]
After Phase 1 of the Tomball Tollway opened in April, final design plans are moving forward for the $175 million Phase 2 portion in Harris County. Phase 2 will extend the Hwy. 249 toll lanes 1.5 miles north of FM 2920 to the Harris County line at Spring Creek.
“Phase 1 seems to be doing well out there,” said John Tyler, deputy director of engineering for the Harris County Toll Road Authority. “[Traffic counts are] a little above what we were projecting in its early years.”
Tyler presented an update on the status of the roadway project at the Oct. 7 North Houston Association transportation meeting. Tomball Tollway Phase 2 is expected to begin construction in Harris County in late 2016 or early 2017.
“In late 2016, HCTRA is expected to seek Commissioners Court approval to begin advertising for contractor bids,” Tyler said. “We construct what’s out there as frontage roads, and we construct the mainlanes, so it’s going to take us a little longer than what it did for Phase 1. The estimated time of completion and opening is early 2019.”
In November, the stormwater quality program will begin along Tomball Tollway Phase 1, which includes the installation of landscaping, Tyler said.
In preparation for Phase 2 construction, HCTRA is working with the city of Tomball and the Harris County Flood Control District to improve drainage and detention ponds in the area, Tyler said.
“TxDOT built the [FM 2920] overpass and did improvements on Hwy. 249,” Tyler said. “They built detention ponds but didn’t have outfalls to them. Now we’re coming in and doing our improvements, and we have to take care of that.”
With final project design set to begin this fall, plans are on track for Montgomery County's portion of the Phase 2 Hwy. 249 extension to begin construction through Pinehurst in April 2017.
In addition, the Texas Department of Transportation plans to fund the construction of phases 3 and 4 of the Hwy. 249 extension project, which will extend the tollway about 26 miles from Hwy. 249 near FM 149 in Pinehurst to Hwy. 105 near Navasota in Grimes County.
“It’ll be nice out there to get all of that in place,” Tyler said. “I’m not sure what the traffic demands will be when [Phase 2] opens, but it’s going to be a nice facility for everybody who lives up that way.”
