With tens of thousands of motorists traveling daily on parts of I-45 through north Harris County, the interstate has become one of the most vital corridors for commuters traveling to and from work, visiting area stores and restaurants, or simply running an errand. While I-45 frequently experiences heavy congestion and travel time delays, particularly during peak traffic hours, the Texas Department of Transportation is restricted in expanding the roadway's capacity through lane additions and other means because of limited funding and right of way availability, TxDOT Area Engineer Richard Brown said. See full PDF of I-45 mobility projects Still, several improvements are under development for local sections of I-45 aimed at improving mobility. Coupled with the effect from ongoing transportation projects in Montgomery County and north Harris County, mobility concerns along the interstate are directly and indirectly being addressed, Brown said. "You have to develop a network of roads to handle the traffic so that the mobility in a location is improved overall instead of just one roadway," Brown said. "[All the local mobility projects] are all tied together." Mark Seegers, Harris County Precinct 4 communications director, said the precinct and Commissioner Jack Cagle are working with other agencies, such as the Harris County Toll Road Authority, to address traffic pain points caused by developments such as Springwoods Village and the ExxonMobil campus in Spring. "The commissioner is putting as many resources as he can into the feeder roads as well as keeping the lines of communications open with other agencies like TxDOT and individual developers in the area," Seegers said.

Ongoing improvements

While TxDOT officials said adding lanes and capacity to I-45 is difficult, there are projects underway intended to directly address congestion along I-45. "I-45 is pretty well built-out all the way up to the [Montgomery County] line," Brown said. "Any further construction in this area is going to include more right of way [acquisition], and right of way is expensive."

"You have to develop a network of roads to handle the traffic so that the mobility in a location is improved overall instead of just one roadway. [All the local mobility projects] are all tied together." - TxDOT Area Engineer Richard Brown

Ongoing projects include adding 17 miles of high occupancy vehicle lanes from FM 1960 to South Loop 336 in Conroe as well as direct connectors onto Hwy. 242, according to TxDOT. The HOV lane project is scheduled to go out for bid in March. The direct connectors are expected to be complete in March. TxDOT is also considering a study to specifically address congestion on I-45 at the Woodlands Parkway exit area, where congestion often backs up traffic, according to the agency. The study is in early preliminary stages, and no timeline has been set. Ancillary projects such as park and ride facility upgrades in The Woodlands—along with the construction of a new park and ride in Conroe scheduled to begin construction in November—should indirectly reduce traffic on I-45 as well, according to TxDOT. "We can't continue to build out freeways and have that be the answer [to traffic congestion]," TxDOT spokeswoman Deidrea Samuels said. "We have to look at other ways and work with other cities, counties and local entities to find a way to move traffic."

Effect of local projects

Although they may not directly address mobility on I-45, projects suggested in the Houston-Galveston Area Council's South Montgomery County Mobility Study should help reduce the strain on the interstate, said Alan Clark, director of transportation planning for H-GAC. Clark said maintaining a cap-able transportation network in the area would reduce the need for drivers to use I-45 for short-distance travel. "We have identified the need to develop thoroughfares which could carry travelers within Montgomery County to important destinations without having to get on I-45," Clark said. The mobility study identifies a need for more north-south corridors, particularly east of I-45. One example could be an extension of Aldine Westfield Road, said Carlene Mullins, H-GAC senior transportation planner. "That would allow residents to take Aldine Westfield [Road]north to Conroe without [going]all the way to I-45," Mullins said. Whether Harris County would consider connecting Aldine Westfield Road between Rayford and Spring Stuebner roads would be up to County Judge Ed Emmett, Seegers said. However, the county has already begun the design stage on an expansion project of Aldine Westfield Road from Louetta to Riley Fuzzel roads, which could be sent out for bid this year. Clark also said H-GAC has added a component to the mobility plan that recommends a major investment study be conducted for I-45. The study would specifically analyze I-45 and explore improved roadway design, additional capacity and the cost of any potential upgrades. Additional capacity can be diverted from I-45 through the construction of a proposed 15-mile extension of Hwy. 249 from FM 1774 in Pinehurst to FM 1774 north of Todd Mission, Brown said. Known as the Aggie Expressway, the project is expected to cost $250 million and take about two years to build after construction begins. No construction start date has been set by TxDOT. "The thing that is going to help I-45 more than anything is going to be the Aggie Expressway," Brown said. "That is going to take traffic off of I-45 in that north-south direction." Harris County completed some projects near I-45 and the Grand Parkway late last year that could also alleviate congestion. The county finished widening Spring Stuebner Road from Kuykendahl Road to I-45 in late 2014. Seegers said the project could turn Spring Stuebner into a major east-west thoroughfare from I-45 to the Tomball area. The county also completed the extension of Holzwarth Road late last year, providing another north-south thoroughfare parallel to I-45 that connects the Springwoods Village master-planned community to east-west corridors, such as the Grandway Parkway, FM 2920, Louetta Road and Cypresswood Drive. Other planned north-south thoroughfare projects under construction or planned by Harris County include expansions of Gosling and Hufsmith-Korhville roads west of I-45. "A lot of these projects have been on the books for years," Seegers said. "Some were identified more than a decade ago, but it takes that kind of time to complete major projects."

The Grand Parkway effect

With the construction of the Grand Parkway expected to be completed later this year, travel time between communities along the Grand Parkway and I-45 interchange, such as Katy, Cypress, Tomball, New Caney and Kingwood, will be significantly reduced, said Linda Merritt, spokeswoman for Zachry-Odebrecht Parkway Builders. Because many residents travel to Houston or surrounding areas for work, the Grand Parkway provides an alternate route for motorists who usually travel on I-45 or the Hardy Toll Road for their commute. For example, a commuter traveling at 65 miles per hour from The Woodlands to Katy can expect a travel time of 45 minutes, Merritt said. Clark said future traffic congestion could stem from rapid development around I-45 and the Grand Parkway due to the influx of residents, workers and visitors at the ExxonMobil campus. Clark said the conditions would make the interchange a major node of travel activity, adding that stakeholders are seeking to avoid bottlenecks like the I-45 and Hardy Toll Road intersection. "One of the things that we are doing at Grand Parkway that is different is there will be a major interchange constructed at that location," Clark said. "It is going to be developed in phases, and one of the concerns about the Grand Parkway is to make sure that enough of that interchange work gets done [so it] doesn't become a new bottleneck." One project under construction that could alleviate some of the congestion along the Grand Parkway is the expansion of the Hardy Toll Road. The project, which also includes a partial direct connector to the Grand Parkway, will add a third lane in each direction from FM 1960 to the Grand Parkway in each direction. HCTRA is funding the project through toll fees at an estimated cost of $95 million. Seegers said when the Grand Parkway project opens, Harris County will have the capacity to handle the added congestion created by the expansion projects to existing corridors. However, the expansion of some roadways may not come quickly due to a lack of funding. "There's more road projects out there than county government could get to in a year," Seegers said.