Construction on Phase 2 of the Hwy. 249 extension through Montgomery County is expected to begin in April 2017.[/caption]
With final project design set to begin this fall, plans are on track for Phase 2 of the
Hwy. 249 extension—more commonly known as the Aggie Expressway—to begin construction through Pinehurst in April 2017.
James Baker, regional transportation manager for engineering firm Halff Associates Inc., gave an update at the Sept. 2 North Houston Association luncheon about his company’s design progress on the roadway. The Montgomery County Toll Road Authority hired Halff Associates Inc. to be the program manager for its section of the Hwy. 249 project, Baker said.
“What makes MCTRA different from the [Harris County Toll Road Authority] is this is their first big toll road, they don’t have previous projects they’ve done, and they are really relying on us to bring experience and expertise to them,” Baker said.
The Phase 2 extension in Montgomery County will span 3.4 miles with four total lanes from Spring Creek to just north of the Woodtrace subdivision upon completion in August 2018, Baker said. The project will include full shoulders on the roadway with the capacity to expand up to six total lanes in the future, he said.
“We’ve taken a traffic study and looked at it,” Baker said. “Two lanes in each direction will handle peak traffic through 2025, and then it would make sense to build a third lane in our section.”
The project, which is now estimated to cost $60 million, was previously projected to cost a little more than double the new construction total. MCTRA plans to fund the all-electronic tollway by selling revenue bonds in mid-2016, Baker said.
MCTRA was originally expected to receive funds from HCTRA to begin design work on the project, Baker said. However, MCTRA is now funding its portion entirely on its own, but HCTRA will process Montgomery County’s future toll collections, he said.
“Right now Harris County is going to handle that for Montgomery County,” Baker said. “We’ve looked at it a couple of different ways, but that’s the current climate now. What they are doing on the Hwy. 242 direct connector—HCTRA is also handling that process and the violations.”
MCTRA and HCTRA will also contribute funds for the new bridges that will be constructed over the county line at Spring Creek, Baker said. In addition, MCTRA will construct two main overpasses near Woodtrace and Decker Prairie Road, and existing smaller crossover points will be closed along the frontage roads, he said.
“The idea for the Aggie Expressway has been around for awhile, and it’s been called lots of things,” Baker said. “I know when I started at [the Texas Department of Transportation] in 1992, the engineers said, ‘Look at this project,’ and it was a concept back then.”
Future segments
During its July 28 meeting, Harris County Commissioners Court approved the preliminary design for its 1.5-mile Hwy. 249 Phase 2 extension from just south of Brown Road to Spring Creek in Tomball. Construction is expected to begin next fall and complete in fall 2018, said Mary Benton, Harris County Toll Road Authority media relations and public affairs manager.
In addition, TxDOT plans to fund the $250 million Phase 3 portion from the end of Phase 2 in Montgomery County to FM 1774 in Grimes County, which is expected to begin construction in late 2016 or early 2017.
TxDOT will also construct Phase 4 of the Hwy. 249 extension through Grimes County from FM 1774 to Hwy. 105. The final section is expected to total $160 million, and construction could begin in mid-2016.
Construction on Phase 2 of the Hwy. 249 extension through Montgomery County is expected to begin in April 2017.[/caption]
With final project design set to begin this fall, plans are on track for Phase 2 of the Hwy. 249 extension—more commonly known as the Aggie Expressway—to begin construction through Pinehurst in April 2017.
James Baker, regional transportation manager for engineering firm Halff Associates Inc., gave an update at the Sept. 2 North Houston Association luncheon about his company’s design progress on the roadway. The Montgomery County Toll Road Authority hired Halff Associates Inc. to be the program manager for its section of the Hwy. 249 project, Baker said.
“What makes MCTRA different from the [Harris County Toll Road Authority] is this is their first big toll road, they don’t have previous projects they’ve done, and they are really relying on us to bring experience and expertise to them,” Baker said.
The Phase 2 extension in Montgomery County will span 3.4 miles with four total lanes from Spring Creek to just north of the Woodtrace subdivision upon completion in August 2018, Baker said. The project will include full shoulders on the roadway with the capacity to expand up to six total lanes in the future, he said.
“We’ve taken a traffic study and looked at it,” Baker said. “Two lanes in each direction will handle peak traffic through 2025, and then it would make sense to build a third lane in our section.”
The project, which is now estimated to cost $60 million, was previously projected to cost a little more than double the new construction total. MCTRA plans to fund the all-electronic tollway by selling revenue bonds in mid-2016, Baker said.
MCTRA was originally expected to receive funds from HCTRA to begin design work on the project, Baker said. However, MCTRA is now funding its portion entirely on its own, but HCTRA will process Montgomery County’s future toll collections, he said.
“Right now Harris County is going to handle that for Montgomery County,” Baker said. “We’ve looked at it a couple of different ways, but that’s the current climate now. What they are doing on the Hwy. 242 direct connector—HCTRA is also handling that process and the violations.”
MCTRA and HCTRA will also contribute funds for the new bridges that will be constructed over the county line at Spring Creek, Baker said. In addition, MCTRA will construct two main overpasses near Woodtrace and Decker Prairie Road, and existing smaller crossover points will be closed along the frontage roads, he said.
“The idea for the Aggie Expressway has been around for awhile, and it’s been called lots of things,” Baker said. “I know when I started at [the Texas Department of Transportation] in 1992, the engineers said, ‘Look at this project,’ and it was a concept back then.”
