Montgomery County Commissioners formally approved the list of 77 projects that make up the $350 million county road bond proposal on the May 9 ballot. The commissioners approved the list at a March 9 meeting after hearing more than two hours of public comment from county residents both in support of and opposed to the bond.

The primary point of contention in the proposal is a six-mile extension of Woodlands Parkway from FM 2978 to Hwy. 249, a project falling under the Precinct 2 list.

A variety of local leaders and organizations have taken a stance on the bond proposal. The Montgomery County 2015 Road Bond Committee, the Texas Conservative Tea Party Coalition, Montgomery County Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley and Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal have all spoken out in favor of the bond.

In response to criticism regarding the inclusion of the Woodlands Parkway extension on the list of proposed projects, and in a letter to The Woodlands Township, Riley said he would work with the township to ensure the project is developed at an appropriate time.

"I want Woodlands residents and their leadership to know that I will work cooperatively on all issues and projects that involve The Woodlands and Precinct 2—such as the proposed Woodlands Parkway extension," Riley said in the letter.

The Texas Patriots political action committee and Woodlands Township Director Gordy Bunch, who also served on the bond committee but resigned once the list of projects was announced, do not support the bond. Bunch initiated an online petition for residents opposed to the Woodlands Parkway extension to sign. At press time, the survey had garnered more than 4,500 signatures.

Bunch said the South Montgomery County Mobility Study compiled by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and funded by the township, Montgomery County Precinct 3, The Woodlands Road Utility District No. 1 and the cities of Shenandoah and Oak Ridge North, did not identify the Woodlands Parkway extension as a high-priority project.

"If we are in need of a road bond then it should focus on the highest priorities that have the highest impact," he said.

Bunch said the county should initiate a countywide mobility study to determine what those projects are.

The $350 million in the bond proposal is divided among the four precincts based on need, according to the bond committee. About $145 million of those proposed projects would be road improvement or road construction projects located in south Montgomery County.

Other major area projects proposed in the bond include $60 million to widen Rayford Road from the Union Pacific rail line to Riley Fuzzel Road, a plan that includes constructing an overpass above at the railroad tracks. Precinct 3 is also planning an overpass for $25.2 million that would extend the westbound direct connector at Woodlands Parkway past Six Pines Drive.

Also in the bond is a $8 million proposal to realign Robinson Road in Oak Ridge North and widen the roadway to four lanes.

Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack did not respond to questions regarding the bond proposal.