Harris County and the city of Houston are studying the feasibility of expanding Hamblen Road from two to four lanes between Loop 494 and Trail Tree Lane.[/caption]1. Hamblen Road expansion
Harris County and the city of Houston are studying the feasibility of expanding Hamblen Road from two to four lanes between Loop 494 and Trail Tree Lane. The project will enter the study phase once the Houston City Council and Harris County Commissioners Court approve an Interagency Agreement outlining the respective entities’ responsibilities during the project.
Timeline: TBD
Cost: TBD
Funding sources: Harris County Precinct 4, city of Houston
2. Northpark Drive expansion
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority is designing the expansion of Northpark Drive in Kingwood. The project will add a lane on each side of the road from Loop 494 to Woodland Hills Drive with an overpass at the railroad tracks. The crash rate for Northpark Drive between Hwy. 59 and Woodland Hills Drive was 69 percent higher than the state average from 2011-2015, according to a report from The Goodman Corporation that was sponsored by the LHRA. Expanding the road could significantly reduce accidents and congestion on Northpark Drive, according to the report, which was released in October.
Timeline: Construction could begin in 2019
Cost: $55 million
Funding sources: LHRA, Montgomery County, Texas Department of Transportation, private developers, Harris County precincts 2 and 4
The expansion of Wilson Road between just north of Beltway 8 and Atascocita Road will widen the road from two and three lanes to four and include traffic signalization at Green Road.[/caption]3. Wilson Road expansion
The expansion of Wilson Road between just north of Beltway 8 and Atascocita Road will widen the road from two and three lanes to four and include traffic signalization at Green Road. The project entered the design phase in September. The expansion will be bid in early 2017.
Timeline: TBD
Cost: $10.2 million
Funding sources: Harris County Precinct 4
4. Cypresswood Drive improvements
A joint participation project between the TxDot and Harris County, the project aims to mitigate congestion and improve air quality as well as provide traffic signal improvements between Holzwarth Road and FM 1960. Proposed improvements include traffic signal system installations, median modifications and turn-lane changes. Harris County will fund the corridor design efforts for Cypresswood Drive and fund 20 percent of the construction costs.
Timeline: TBD
Cost: $8 million
Funding sources: Harris County, TxDOT
As the population increases, toll roads may undergo improvement projects to accommodate for the increased traffic congestion.[/caption]How it works
Why are we paying tolls after the road’s construction is paid for?
Tolls pay for more than just building new toll roads. Though tolls do go toward repaying the bonds sold to fund constructing new roads, they also pay for operating and maintaining the existing roadways and funding expansions and improvements.
Essentially, a toll road is never completely paid for.
The state’s population is projected to increase to more than 30 million people by 2020, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. As the population increases, toll roads may undergo improvement projects to accommodate for the increased traffic congestion.
Regularly scheduled increases of toll rates also help pay for future projects.
Gas taxes and vehicle registration fees do not fund the toll roads. That revenue is used to fund nontolled projects by the Texas Department of Transportation. Toll roads, on the other hand, are largely funded through the sale of bonds that are repaid through tolls.
