Hwy. 290 Project F[/caption]

1. Hwy. 290 Project F


Project F entails widening Hwy. 290 to five mainlanes in each direction from FM 529 to North Eldridge Parkway. In late June, crews shifted westbound mainlane traffic to the left in order to work on frontage roads and new mainlanes. The westbound exit ramp to Jones Road has one lane closed as crews work on frontage roads between the ramp and Jersey Drive. Once work is complete, the frontage road and exit ramp will be reduced to one lane through Jan. 30, 2018.


Timeline: August 2013-2018
Cost: $57.9 million
Funding source: Texas Department of Transportation



2. Bridgeland Creek Parkway extension


The Howard Hughes Corporation is developing a 2.5-mile extension of Bridgeland Creek Parkway, which will extend from Fry Road to the Grand Parkway in Cypress. Officials said the roadway should open this summer.


Timeline: March 2014-July 31, 2017
Cost: $14 million
Funding source: The Howard Hughes Corporation



3. Telge Road widening


Harris County precincts 3 and 4 are teaming up with the Harris County Engineering Department on a project to widen Telge Road from two to four lanes from Spring Cypress Road in Cypress to FM 2920 in Tomball. Precinct 3 will widen the road from Spring Cypress Road to Little Cypress Creek, HCED will construct a bridge over the creek and Precinct 4 will widen the road to FM 2920.


Timeline: May 2017-June 2018
Cost: $385,860 (Precinct 3), $4.1 million (Precinct 4), $1.3 million (HCED)
Funding sources: Harris County precincts 3 and 4, HCED



4. Cypress Rosehill Road widening


Harris County Precinct 3 is widening Cypress Rosehill Road from two to four lanes in Cypress from Lake Cypress Hill Drive to the Grand Parkway. Precinct 4 will widen the road between the Grand Parkway and
FM 2920 in Tomball, where it will transition to Decker-Prairie Road. The Precinct 3 project will be completed in the third quarter of 2017. The Precinct 4 project is in the design phase.


Timeline: July 2016-July 2017 (Precinct 3), TBA (Precinct 4)
Cost: $9.9 million (Precinct 3), $3.5 million (Precinct 4)
Funding sources: Harris County precincts 3 and 4



5. Grant Road widening


Construction is underway on a Grant Road widening project from Old Kluge to Spring Cypress roads in Cypress. The Harris County Precinct 4 project will widen the road from a two-lane asphalt roadway to a four-lane concrete boulevard. Harris County Precinct 3 is also widening the road from Old Kluge Road to Lakewood Forest Drive in Cypress.


Timeline: February 2017-first quarter 2019
Cost: $7.4 million
Funding sources: Harris County precincts 3 and 4



6. Mueschke Road widening


Harris County Precinct 3 has started construction on a project to widen Mueschke Road from two to four lanes from south of Juergen Road to the Grand Parkway.


Timeline: February-November
Cost: $7.4 million
Funding source: Harris County Precinct 3



7. Huffmeister Road extension


Harris County Precinct 4 has proposed a four-lane Huffmeister Road extension from West Road to Hwy. 6 in Houston. The project is in the design phase, and officials said they hope to send it out for bid for construction purposes in the second quarter of 2017.


Timeline: (Q2) 2017-TBA
Cost: Estimated $2.5 million
Funding sources: Harris County Precinct 4







Who builds roads around new developments?[/caption]

How it works


Who builds roads around new developments?


As rapid population growth and development continue throughout the state, the Texas Department of Transportation and local entities create public-private partnerships to build roads around new developments, TxDOT officials said.


Developers often approach TxDOT about building or expanding roadways that connect to their developments or improving signalization on nearby traffic lights, TxDOT spokesperson Danny Perez said.


If the developer’s interests align with TxDOT’s goal of improving traffic flow, the two entities enter an agreement with the developer contributing a portion or all of the costs of the project.


Perez said developers have funded a number of transportation projects—even a ramp reversal in one case. The
$2 million project swapped the location of an entrance ramp and exit ramp on I-45 in Galveston County two years ago to improve access to a business complex while also improving traffic flow and safety in the area.


Developers can also build roads themselves. The company would need to submit its plan to TxDOT—or whichever entity owns the roadway the new road would connect to—for approval to receive the appropriate permits. The developer would retain the right of way in this case.


After the road is built, the developer has the option to return the right of way to TxDOT or another entity for long-term maintenance of the road.