Harris County Precinct 4 is working to widen roads on major connecting corridors to help manage growth in an area that has large business expansions and is growing by 80 people per day.

Harris County's explosive population growth during the past decade has caused a number of congested roadways throughout the region, which is why expanding current roads and building new roadways is crucial to the continued growth in the area, said Mark Seegers, communications director with Harris County Precinct 4.

"By population, if you just took Precinct 4, it would be the 43rd largest state in the nation," Seegers said. "It's clear this is one of the heavy growth areas. It's important you have the major growth corridors, such as Spring Stuebner and Stuebner Airline, and connecting roads, such as Gosling, opened up as much as possible."

Construction has started on the widening of Gosling Road from two lanes to four lanes between FM 2920 and Kuykendahl Road, and widening Gosling Road to five lanes from FM 2920 to Spring Stuebner. The five-lane road will have two lanes in each direction with a continuous turn lane.

The $1.96 million improvement project, started June 17 by Durwood Greene Construction Company, is expected to be complete by late September, Seegers said.

Construction on Stuebner Airline Road will soon provide drivers traveling between Houston and Tomball another north-south corridor as an alternative to Hwy. 249. The project will widen the street from two lanes to five between Spring Cypress Road and FM 2920. Two lanes will run in each direction, with one continuous turn lane in the middle.

The project has been divided into two segments. Construction has started on both segments—Segment A, which runs from Spring Cypress Road to Thora Lane, and Segment B, which runs from Thora Lane to FM 2920. Both segments are expected to be complete in September.

"The project will connect Kuykendahl and Spring Stuebner—these are the major corridors in the area," Seegers said.

The road widening is particularly important because of its proximity to the David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport, said Jack Cagle, county commissioner in Harris County's Precinct 4, which is funding the project.

"There's so much growth in precinct 4 ... it's clear there are needs," Seegers said.