The project, which has been in development since 2018, aims to alleviate traffic congestion, improve safety and enhance infrastructure, council member Howard Wood said in the meeting.
The details
The project will widen the existing two-lane road with no sidewalks, to a four-lane road with sidewalks and drainage for stormwater, water and wastewater, Public Works Director Norman McGuire said at the March 12 workshop meeting. The road will also have an improved railroad crossing with new gates, McGuire said.
According to the March 12 presentation, the cost breakdown includes:
- Total project value: $37.3 million
- Federal funding: $30 million
- Local government funds: $7.3 million
Diving in deeper
A grant for the Foster Road project was originally submitted to the Houston-Galveston Area Council in 2018 during their call for projects, McGuire said; however, it was denied. The city then resubmitted the project in 2023 to H-GAC and was recently awarded the funds.
Foster Road currently serves as a high-traffic area with Runyan Elementary School and the Oscar Johnson Jr. Community Center nearby, Wood said.
"If you drive on Foster Road, you see the high volume of commercial traffic and the elementary school with no shoulders," Wood said. "This project is an outstanding step forward for transportation and mobility in the region."
What’s next
The project will enter the design phase two years prior to the bidding opening. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2031, with bidding set for 2030, Brandy Taylor, purchasing contract administrator for the city of Conroe, said.
"This is another win for Conroe," Coon said. "We’re getting a $30 million project for less than a third of the cost to the city."
