The Texas Department of Transportation has begun studying Segment D of the Grand Parkway to determine what improvement projects are necessary in the area, said Deidrea George, the public information officer for TxDOT’s Houston District. One project 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 of 1994—frontage roads were not deemed a necessity at the time. “When it was completed, and even when it was studied back in the [1970s], frontage roads were not considered because of the times,” George said. “Twenty-plus years ago, it was country out there.” However, due to exponential residential and commercial growth in the Katy area over the last 20 years, George said there is an increased need for frontage roads. TxDOT’s Project Development section is in the preliminary planning process to make feeder roads on Segment D a reality, she 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." George said connectivity would be better with continuous frontage roads, but that results from the study will not be made public until they are finalized. A timeline has not yet been determined, she said.