The Texas Department of Transportation will receive a $58.6 million grant to help fund future frontage road projects along the Grand Parkway from FM 1093 to I-10 in Katy.
In a nutshell
The grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council will cover more than half of the estimated $108 million project costs, said Dwayne Grigar, director of planning and infrastructure for Fort Bend County Precinct 1.
This funding, previously set to be paid by the county to TxDOT, will allow county staff to reallocate funding to other Precinct 1 mobility projects, he said.
According to a Jan. 13 news release, the funding will support three frontage road segments, including:
- $23.2 million for the southbound frontage road from Bay Hill Boulevard to Cinco Ranch Boulevard
- $17.8 million for the northbound frontage road from South Fry Road to Westheimer Parkway
- $17.6 million for the southbound frontage road from Westheimer Parkway to South Fry Road
“First, I wish to thank the leadership of the Houston-Galveston Area Council for their partnership—this funding marks a significant step forward for our community,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales said in the release. “When I took the lead on these projects in 2022, my focus was clear: expedite timelines, engage residents on sound wall designs, and position these projects for funding opportunities like this H-GAC allocation.”
Morales thanked multiple stakeholders, including former state Rep. Jacey Jetton and state Sen. Joan Huffman, for their support in getting the project funded.
Remember this?
The frontage road projects are part of a larger, ongoing Grand Parkway expansion between FM 1093 and I-10. TxDOT is working on two projects totaling $103 million to widen the road from four to six lanes.
It also includes adding southbound frontage roads from South Fry Road to FM 1093 and Cinco Ranch Boulevard to Westheimer Parkway, Grigar said.
The ongoing projects are set to wrap up in September, TxDOT officials said.
Meanwhile, the county also completed work in October on the $53.6 million Westpark Tollway direct connectors at the intersection of the Grand Parkway.
What else?
It’ll cost at least $108 million to fill in the remaining frontage roads between FM 1093 and I-10, but it could cost more with rising construction costs, Grigar said. The county will fund the remainder of the cost through county road bonds or other regional and statewide monies.
Grigar said county staff hope to receive an additional $20 million from TxDOT, leaving the county to cover roughly $29.4 million unless more grant funding is allocated.
“We will look into the shortfalls of the other projects and determine how much is remaining for reallocation,” he said.
Looking ahead
Construction on the frontage roads is expected to begin in early 2026 and finish in by the end of 2028, according to the release.
