A direct connector from southbound Hwy. 249 to westbound Beltway 8 is expected to be open to drivers before the end of 2015, said officials with the Harris County Toll Road Authority. With the final design phase underway, construction is expected to begin in May and last about 18 months.

The connector will allow drivers to transit seamlessly at the interchange, similar to the existing connector to eastbound Beltway 8. Updates on specific, anticipated lane closures will be posted to HCTRA's website on an ongoing basis once construction begins, media relations coordinator Adam Collett said.

"For most of the construction period, drivers can expect intermittent, short-duration lane closures on the frontage roads," he said. "There will also be some intermittent, short-duration lane closures on the main lanes."

The project will cost an estimated $25 million, which will be paid for by HCTRA. The project was proposed in preparation of the Hwy. 249 toll road. Phase I of the Hwy. 249 toll road—three toll lanes in each direction from south of Spring Cypress road to north of FM 2920—is expected to be complete in spring 2015.