Motorists in north Houston who were expecting to use the city’s third outer loop in January on their daily commutes will have to wait a few more months. Transportation officials have announced segments F-1 and F-2 of the Grand Parkway will open in February while Segment G will open in the first quarter of 2016.

“We’re working on G now, and F-1 and F-2 are moving toward completion as we speak,” said Quincy Allen, Texas Department of Transportation Houston District engineer.

Originally planned for completion by the end of 2015, segments F-1 and F-2 of the Grand Parkway will consist of tolled roadway from Hwy. 290 to I-45, while Segment G will connect I-45 and Hwy. 59 when completed. Construction of the $1 billion tollway has been funded and overseen by the TxDOT.

The Grand Parkway segments will provide additional roadway capacity to help alleviate the increased traffic demand, said officials with Zachry-Odebrecht. However, construction of the project has been hampered due to recent weather conditions.

“The project did encounter setbacks particularly with the heavy rains during the month of May and June,” Zachry-Odebrecht Parkway Builders spokesperson Ibette Cavazos said.

Although the project has been delayed from its original expected completion date, Zachry-Odebrecht achieved a significant milestone in December by setting all of the beams and bridge decks for the project. A total of 121 bridge decks and 3,802 concrete beams were set for the toll road, the company said in a news release.

A project conceived more than 50 years ago, the more than 200-mile tollway will become Houston’s third outer loop when completed. Segment E of the Grand Parkway, from I-10 to Hwy. 290, was completed in December 2013.