Local Projects
1. FM 1463 expansion and improvements
A proposed Texas Department of Transportation project includes significant construction along a 6.7-mile stretch of FM 1463 between I-10 and FM 1093.
Under the proposed project, FM 1463 would be renovated and widened from two lanes throughout to either four or six lanes in various locations.
Proposed lane configurations are six lanes from I-10 to Spring Green Boulevard, from Katy-Fulshear to Corbitt roads and from Cinco Ranch Boulevard to FM 1093, and four lanes from Spring Green Boulevard to Katy-Fulshear Road and from Corbitt Road to Cinco Ranch Boulevard.
The stretch of FM 1463 between I-10 and Spring Green Boulevard would be the first to undergo construction, and the remainder of the project’s completion would be contingent on funding availability. The proposed project would require an additional 39 acres of right of way, 28 acres that would be used for the roadway improvements and 11 acres that would be used for three detention ponds for stormwater drainage.
The project is still awaiting approval from the National Environmental Policy Act, and public comments are being incorporated into environmental documentation, said Deidrea George, public information officer for TxDOT’s Houston District. According to George, no residential or commercial displacements are expected, but noise walls are proposed next to some residential properties. A public hearing was held Dec. 8 regarding the proposal, and community input was due to TxDOT by Jan. 3.
Timeline: early 2019-TBA Cost: $81 million Funding sources: TxDOT
2. Phase 1 Westpark Tollway extension/FM 1093 widening
FM 1093 will be a two-lane frontage road in each direction on either side of the Westpark Tollway. The Westpark Tollway will be extended 2.3 miles west from the Grand Parkway and will be four lanes of concrete-paved highway with two lanes in each direction. An overpass will be built above the intersection of Katy-Gaston Road and Spring Green Boulevard.
Timeline: February 2016-February 2018 Cost: $63.9 million Funding sources: Fort Bend County Assistance District 1, Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority, Emergency Services District 100, TxDOT
In the coming years, the Grand Parkway may gain feeder roads from I-10 to I-69.[/caption]
Regional Projects
Grand Parkway feeder road study in the works
The Texas Department of Transportation has begun studying Segment D of the Grand Parkway to determine which improvement projects are necessary in the area, said Deidrea George, public information officer for TxDOT’s Houston District.
One project under consideration is the addition of feeder roads to Segment D, which covers the 17.4-mile stretch from Hwy. 59 in Sugar Land to I-10 in the Katy area. Because Segment D was the first segment of the Grand Parkway—it was completed in August 1994—frontage roads were not deemed a necessity at the time.
“When it was completed, and even when it was studied back in the ’70s, frontage roads were not considered because of the times,” George said. “Twenty-plus years ago, it was country out there.”
Residents and commercial growth in the Katy area over the last 20 years increased the need for frontage roads. TxDOT’s Project Development section is in the preliminary planning process to make feeder roads on Segment D a reality, George said.
“[Plans] are preliminary at best,” George said. “But they are in the process of a study in the area to see about improvements. Clearly, continuous frontage road access would be one of those things that they’re studying. The connectivity would be better with continuous frontage roads.”
George said results from the study will not be made public until they are finalized. A timeline and funding sources have not yet been determined, she said.
