Now that the Grand Parkway is open, chances are you have seen the big, white, ball-like structure on the north side of the highway, near the FM 2920 exit. It looks like it could be a water tower or a gigantic golf ball on a tee.

I set out to discover its purpose, asking some people with longtime familiarity with the area, but I had no luck. My publisher, Jason Culpepper, suggested I inquire with David Gornet, the executive director of the Grand Parkway Association. Gornet was immediately informative and advised it is a Federal Aviation Administration Doppler radar site for approaches to George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

“It stayed where it is because FAA told us it takes years to build a new one and calibrate it while the old one—this one—remains in use,” Gornet said. “They were fine with the site staying next to the frontage road. So we built around it.”

Are you curious about something related to Spring and Klein? Please send me a note. I will research it, and it could appear in a future edition.