The San Jacinto River Authority is nearing completion of installing pipeline and constructing new eastbound traffic lanes along Grogan's Mill Road, while at the same time making preparations to begin its next phase of construction on Research Forest Drive.

Ronda Trow, spokeswoman for the SJRA, said barring delays from inclement weather or material deliveries, the Grogan's Mill Road portion of the project should be complete and open to traffic by May 16. The SJRA is currently working on two segments of Grogan's Mill Road from Research Forest Drive to South Millbend Drive.

"There will still be intersection work to be completed, as well as fiber optic [installation], so there may be some rolling lane closures after [May 16]," she said.

Eastbound lanes of Grogan's Mill Road are currently closed while crews finish pipeline installation and constructing new roadways. Major intersections have remained opened after crews cut crossovers through medians to allow access to the intersections.

Trow said once traffic is restored to Grogan's Mill Road, the crossovers will no longer be needed.

Meanwhile, the SJRA will begin installing pipeline along Research Forest Drive between Greenbridge Drive and West Trillium Circle in front of The Woodlands High School in early June, almost immediately after Conroe ISD classes let out for the summer, Trow said.

Pipeline has already been installed and lanes on Research Forest Drive from Shadowbend Drive to Grogan's Mill Road re-opened, but the SJRA chose to wait until school was out before it installed pipeline in front of the high school.

There are also locations as far west as Kuykendahl Road that the SJRA is periodically closing lanes.

Trow said the contractor on the project has begun lining up pipeline along the portion of Research Forest Drive to start construction as soon as possible. The pipeline is expected to be installed and lanes re-opened before school re-opens in the fall.

"That is still the plan and that plan is not going to change," Trow said.

The installation of pipeline in front of The Woodlands High School will require the outside eastbound lane to be closed from early June to early August. Trow said the construction process would not require traffic to be diverted as it has on other SJRA projects in The Woodlands.

The SJRA is installing water pipeline along Research Forest Drive and Grogan's Mill Road as part of The Lone Star Conservation District's mandate that the region lessen its reliance on groundwater by 30 percent by 2016.

For more information on the project, visit

www.sjra.net/grp.