Northwest Houston motorists will see continued construction to widen Hwy. 290 throughout the year. Upon completion slated for 2017, it is expected to provide congestion relief along the corridor, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
The $1.8 billion expansion project was initially estimated to cost $4.7 billion, and construction was scheduled to extend through 2034. The recent partnership between the Harris County Toll Road Authority and TxDOT, through an agreement signed last April, provided the necessary funding to begin work on each segment of the roadway nearly two decades ahead of schedule.
"We expect all the projects between Loop 610 and Hwy. 6 to be under construction by early 2014 and have all the projects out to the Grand Parkway done by 2017," said Mike Zientek, senior public involvement representative with the US 290 Program. "For the longest time, the biggest hurdle we've had to get over is funding. [The project] is pretty ambitious, but not only is it occurring, it is occurring very soon."
As outlined by the memorandum of understanding, HCTRA is dedicated to provide $400 million toward the $1.3 billion in total construction costs to provide funding for the implementation of two to three managed toll lanes down the center of the highway.
Other funding sources include $168 million from Rider 42, $332 million from proposition 12 and $105 million from proposition 14; $315 million from the state; and $480 million in federal funds.
The section of the corridor with three reversible managed lanes will be implemented between Loop 610 and Hwy. 6 before going down to two lanes west of Hwy. 6. With the estimated completion of the Hempstead Tollway in 2035, the center lanes are expected to be opened to all traffic as general purpose lanes, according to TxDOT.
The proposed Hempstead Tollway—which will eventually run parallel to the corridor from Loop 610 to the Grand Parkway—has been put on hold by HCTRA to allow construction of the interim managed lanes outlined by the highway redesign, which was made available to the public at a meeting held in December.
"This tollway won't be built for many years," Zientek said. "It's a very expensive roadway to build. It is TxDOT's ultimate plan, but that's why we have this interim concept in place. TxDOT—hopefully early [this] year—will do an asphalt overlay over Hempstead Road, and they'll proof signal timing at the intersections. You'll see improvements at the intersections of Eldridge, Cypress-Rosehill, Fry, Spring Cypress, Hwy. 6 before the major highway construction begins."
According to TxDOT's final environmental impact statement—approved in August 2010—hundreds of businesses and residences stand to be displaced by the expansion project. In the Jersey Village corridor, several businesses have already made deals with the state, closed their doors and relocated.
Although city officials are concerned with the decrease in sales tax brought on by displaced businesses, a primary concern is quality of life issues, specifically noise mitigation efforts.
Jersey Village residents have sent about 800 letters and more than 1,200 petition signatures to elected officials and TxDOT representatives requesting more noise abatement efforts during and after the Hwy. 290 construction, according to Mike Castro, Jersey Village city manager.
"[Jersey Village] recognizes the need for additional lane capacity and congestion relief," he said. "However, we do not feel that TxDOT has exercised due diligence in the examination of mitigating the impact of the expansion on neighboring communities."
Although TxDOT plans to construct Hwy. 290 with a longitudinal lining treatment to help with traffic noise, the effort is only expected to decrease noise pollution by a few decibels, Castro said, while Jersey Village specifically is looking for at least a 10 decibel reduction.
"TxDOT's proposed solutions fail to address the noise issue in a substantive manner," Castro said. "Construction of an eight-foot fence bordering a single neighborhood is a solution born out of a strategy of appeasment rather than of sound science."
Viable alternatives to TxDOT's proposed wall solution were suggested by local residents and city officials. These improvements include the construction of a limited-height barrier along the corridor bordering Jersey Village, and the proposed usage of permeable friction-course treatment, or a rubber-like asphalt, as a freeway overlay, which should "achieve the desired reduction to noise levels sought by Jersey Village residents," Castro said.
A re-evaluated draft final environmental impact statement will be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration for approval after reviewing public comments. It will be available to the public later in 2013, according to Karen Othon, TxDOT public information officer.
