With approximately 165,000 cars traveling daily on parts of I-45 in Montgomery County on average, the interstate has become one of the most vital corridors for commuters traveling to and from work, visiting area stores and restaurants or simply running an errand. While I-45 frequently experiences heavy congestion and travel time delays, particularly during peak traffic hours, the Texas Department of Transportation is restricted in expanding the roadway's capacity through lane additions and other means because of limited funding and right of way availability, TxDOT area engineer Richard Brown said. TxDOT spends an average of $101,500 per month on I-45 maintenance in Montgomery County alone, according to the agency. Still, several improvements are under development for local sections of I-45 aimed at improving mobility. Coupled with the effect from ongoing transportation projects in Montgomery County and north Harris County, mobility concerns along the interstate are directly and indirectly being addressed, Brown said. "You have to develop a network of roads to handle the traffic so that the mobility in a location is improved overall instead of just one roadway," Brown said. "[All the local mobility projects] are all tied together." Ongoing improvements While TxDOT officials said adding lanes and capacity to I-45 is difficult, there are projects underway intended to directly address congestion along the interstate. "I-45 is pretty well built-out all the way up to the [Montgomery County] line," Brown said. "Any further construction in this area is going to include more right of way [acquisition], and right of way is expensive." Ongoing projects include adding 17 miles of high occupancy vehicle lanes from FM 1960 to South Loop 336 in Conroe as well as direct connectors onto Hwy. 242, according to TxDOT. The HOV lane project is scheduled to undergo a bidding process in March, and the direct connectors are expected to be complete in March as well. TxDOT is also considering conducting a study to specifically address congestion on I-45 at the Woodlands Parkway exit area, where congestion often backs up traffic, according to the agency. The study is in preliminary stages, and no timeline has been set. Ancillary projects such as park and ride facility upgrades in The Woodlands—along with the construction of a new park and ride facility in Conroe scheduled to begin construction in November—are expected to indirectly reduce traffic congestion along I-45 as well, according to TxDOT. "We can't continue to build out freeways and have that be the answer [to traffic congestion]," TxDOT spokeswoman Deidrea Samuels said. "We have to look at other ways and work with other cities, counties and local entities to find a way to move traffic, and that park and ride center is just one example of that." Effect of local projects Although they may not directly address mobility on I-45, projects suggested in the Houston-Galveston Area Council's South Montgomery County Mobility Study should help reduce the strain on the interstate, said Alan Clark, director of transportation planning for H-GAC. Clark said maintaining a capable transportation network in the area would reduce the need for drivers to use I-45 for short-distance travel. "We have identified the need to develop thoroughfares [that] could carry travelers within Montgomery County to important destinations without having to get on I-45," Clark said. "Having a more complete transportation network enables people to make a more direct trip to where they would want to go, and as a consequence, it cuts down on traffic." The mobility study identifies a need for additional north-south corridors, in particular to the east side of I-45. One example of that would be an extension of Aldine Westfield Road, which was suggested in the South Montgomery County Mobility Study, said Carlene Mullins, H-GAC senior transportation planner. "That would allow residents to take Aldine Westfield [Road] north up to Conroe without having to go all the way to I-45," Mullins said. Clark also said H-GAC has added a component to the mobility plan that recommends a major investment study be conducted for I-45. The study would specifically analyze I-45 and explore improved roadway design, additional capacity and the cost of any potential upgrades. Additional strain can be taken away from I-45 through the construction of the proposed extension of Hwy. 249 from FM 1774 in Pinehurst to FM 1774 north of Todd Mission, Brown said. The project is a part of a larger effort by TxDOT to extend Hwy. 249 to Navasota, near College Station, to relieve traffic congestion. Known as the Aggie Expressway, Montgomery County's portions of the extension are expected to cost $250 million and take about two years after construction begins to complete, according to TxDOT. No construction start date has been set by TxDOT. "The thing that is going to help I-45 more than anything is going to be the Aggie Expressway," Brown said. "That is going to take traffic off of I-45 in that north-south direction." The Grand Parkway effect With the construction of the Grand Parkway, travel time between communities located along the Grand Parkway and I-45 interchange and other suburban areas—such as Katy, Cypress, Tomball, New Caney and Kingwood—will be significantly reduced, said Linda Merritt, spokeswoman for Zachry-Odebrecht Parkway Builders. The Grand Parkway is expected to reach substantial completion by the end of the year, Merritt said. Because many local residents travel into Houston or surrounding suburban areas for work, the Grand Parkway provides an alternate route for motorists who usually travel on I-45 or the Hardy Toll Road for their commute. For example, a commuter traveling at 65 miles per hour from The Woodlands to Katy can expect a travel time of 45 minutes on the Grand Parkway, Merritt said. Clark said future traffic congestion could stem from rapid development in the I-45 and Grand Parkway interchange area as a result of the addition of residents, workers and visitors at the ExxonMobil campus in Springwoods Village in Spring. Clark said the conditions would make the interchange a major node of travel in the area, adding that stakeholders are seeking to avoid bottlenecks like the I-45 and Hardy Toll Road intersection. "One of the things that we are doing at [the] Grand Parkway that is different is there will be a major interchange constructed at [the Hardy Toll Road]," Clark said. "It is going to be developed in phases, and one of the concerns about the Grand Parkway is to make sure that enough of that interchange work gets done [so it] doesn't become a new bottleneck."