Rapid development and increased traffic along Gosling and Kuykendahl roads, both of which connect Montgomery and Harris counties in The Woodlands, have prompted the two counties to expand the roadways. The counties are working to acquire funding for mobility enhancements that transportation planners say will ease traffic congestion on the two roads. Once two-lane thoroughfares with minimal traffic and few residents, Kuykendahl and Gosling roads have seen an abundance of commercial development and hundreds of new homes built in the last three years. “If you have seen the traffic counts, Kuykendahl and Gosling [roads] are extremely congested,” said Mike Bass, member of The Woodlands Road Utility District and Woodlands  Township board of directors. “And with the Grand Parkway and developments in Creekside [Park], [traffic is] only going to get worse. People in Creekside Park feel like prisoners in their own homes.”

Development attracts traffic

Work has begun in the last year on two master-planned communities along Kuykendahl Road in Harris County: Augusta Woods Village, which could feature a Wal-Mart and multifamily development, and the Lakes at Creekside. The Lakes at Creekside, developed by J. Alan Kent Development, will bring 600 homes. J. Alan Kent developed the Creekside Augusta Pines neighborhood at Kuykendahl and West Rayford roads, which has seen more than 400 lots built over the last three years, said Duane Islet, development manager for J. Alan Kent. Robert Heineman, vice president of planning for The Woodlands Development Company, said traffic counts are already high on Kuykendahl and Gosling roads because of new developments and will only increase because of projects like Wal-Mart. Construction on Wal-Mart is expected to begin this fall with an opening date planned for fall 2016, according to a fact sheet distributed by Dan Morales, director of public affairs and government relations for Wal-Mart. “But the primary driver will be the opening of the Grand Parkway, with traffic on all of the north/south major thoroughfares,” Heineman said. “[Traffic on] Gosling and Kuykendahl and [FM] 2978 should all increase very significantly.” According to The Development Company, traffic in one 24-hour period south of Flintridge Drive on Kuykendahl Road increased by 28 percent from April 2013 to April 2015. At the intersection of Gosling Road and Creekside Forest Drive, traffic increased 29 percent in two years. Heineman said the projections of even higher numbers in traffic are based on certain assumptions, including the Grand Parkway attracting drivers away from I-45. He said drivers will use Gosling and Kuykendahl roads as avenues to get to and from the Grand Parkway. The Grand Parkway has also been a key selling point for Maverick Development, which has two developments planned along Gosling Road. President Bryan Frenchak said Gosling Road will be the first exit for motorists traveling westbound from Springwoods Village.

Expansion money woes

Harris County has plans to expand Gosling Road from two lanes to four or five lanes between Spring Stuebner Road to Creekside Forest Drive. The project will also include a bridge across Spring Creek that could total a combined $28.7 million. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said funding has been identified for the first phase of the widening, from Spring Stuebner Road to Mossy Oaks Road, which could be put out to bid later this year. However, funding is not available for the remaining two segments or the bridge, which may be paid for through a partnership with Montgomery County and the WRUD. Bass said funding problems are hindering the road widening. In May, Montgomery County voters turned down a $350 million road bond proposal, which would have funded 77 road improvement projects. On July 28, Harris County approved an $848 million bond election to take place Nov. 3. The Harris County bond money would only fund up to the Montgomery County line, however. Bass said widening Gosling Road and building the bridge across Spring Creek will require money from both counties. “The problem is that the [Gosling Road] bridge is not going to get built until Montgomery County finds the money,” he said. “The WRUD has no money to do it. I don’t know where [Montgomery County] would come up with the money to do it.” The Montgomery County Commissioners Court opted not to hold a bond election this November, but it is possible one will be held in 2016. Meanwhile, both counties and the WRUD are partnering for expanding the bridge on Kuykendahl Road across Spring Creek. “We are positively encouraged that we should be able to have funding to go forward,” Cagle said. “But if we do not pass the bond, we’ll have to do some serious belt tightening, and we don’t know where that belt tightening will have to be.”

Growth trickle effect

The traffic on Gosling and Kuykendahl roads is creating challenges for area entities, Fire Chief Alan Benson said. The Woodlands Fire Station No. 7 is on Kuykendahl Road in the Village of Creekside Park, where traffic has increased nearly 28 percent in the span of two years, according to the Development Company. Benson said traffic congestion in and around The Woodlands affects response times for firefighters. “Our guys are aware of [the traffic,] and just like with any incident we may be responding to, we know certain areas are congested or under construction—our firefighters will seek alternative routes,” he said. “Our folks at [No.] 7 are well aware of the trouble spots and will take that into consideration when they’re responding.” Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack said he is continuing to work toward more mobility improvements. “We have $2.5 million that is earmarked for Kuykendahl,” he said. “I hope that Commissioner Cagle is able to secure the necessary funding for us to work collectively to better our county mobility issues.” Cagle will meet with the township board Aug. 26 to discuss the joint county projects. Township Director Jeff Long said he expects the township board and Cagle to move forward with a plan and timeline as a result of the meeting. “This is a desperate transportation need on the Montgomery County side and the Harris County side,” Long said. While no township funds are available for roadway projects, Cagle’s meeting with the board will address both counties’ concerns regarding the road expansions, Bass said. “Right now we’re sitting here with no agreement, and Kuykendahl and Gosling is just a gleam in everyone’s eye,” he said.

 View PDF of mapped road projects.