Transportation Updates




Austin Parkway improvements Austin Parkway improvements[/caption]

1. Austin Parkway improvements


The southbound lanes of Austin Parkway between Autumn Lakes and Commonwealth Boulevard in Sugar Land opened to motorists Oct. 12. The northbound lanes are now closed, and the southbound lanes are being used for two-way traffic while work continues to rebuild the road. The lane closures and construction have increased traffic congestion in the area, especially during school hours. Construction started in June on improvements to Austin Parkway and Lakefield Boulevard and includes the reconstruction of a total of 2,803 linear feet of 8-inch concrete pavement and the replacement of a total of 3,000 linear feet of 12-inch water line. A 10-foot wide concrete trail on the northbound side of Austin Parkway will also be constructed as part of the project.


Timeline: March 2015-August 2016
Cost: $3.4 million
Funding sources: city of Sugar Land



2. LJ Parkway extension


The developer-led project to connect
LJ Parkway to Commonwealth Boulevard to provide a new route into the master-planned community of Riverstone in Sugar Land started in July and is expected to be complete and open to the public by the end of December. Riverstone Development is leading the project, which is located in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Sugar Land. The project includes the construction of LJ Parkway as a four-lane, curb-and-gutter roadway from just north of University Boulevard to just south of Commonwealth Boulevard. A single-lane roundabout similar to the one on Lexington Boulevard will connect Commonwealth Boulevard and LJ Parkway north of the Centerpoint easement. The project also includes the addition of sidewalks and landscaping along the new roadway.


Timeline: July-December
Cost: $2.4 million
Funding sources: Riverstone Development

3. Sugar Land Business Park


Work to reconstruct and rehabilitate several streets within the Sugar Land Business Park was completed in early November. The project reconstructed and repaved areas of Julie Rivers Drive, West Airport Boulevard, Gillingham Lane and Jess Pirtle Boulevard as well as a section of Industrial Boulevard and Emily Court. Some additional locations—including a portion of Reed Road—were added to the project and also completed.


Timeline: April-November
Cost: $1.26 million
Funding sources: city of Sugar Land



4. Hwy. 6 expansion


The design phase for Phase 3 of the Hwy. 6 expansion project in Sugar Land started in late July and is expected to be complete next year. The project calls for the roadway to be expanded from three to four lanes and drainage improvements between Brooks Street and Lexington Boulevard. Construction is slated to begin in August and will take 150 days from the notice to proceed to complete.


Timeline: August 2016-early 2017
Cost: $7.6 million
Funding sources: city of Sugar Land, Federal Highway Administration, Texas Department of Transportation




University Blvd. extension University Blvd. extension[/caption]

5. University Boulevard extension


Construction on Phase 1 of the University Boulevard North project in Sugar Land started in August. This is the final portion of the University extension, which will be completed in two phases. A timeline for Phase 2 has not been determined. Phase 1
will extend University across Hwy. 90 to approximately 1,000 feet north of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The project includes improvements to Hwy. 90, a new traffic signal system at the intersection and a four-lane boulevard section with accommodations for pedestrians.


Timeline: August 2015-March 2016 (Phase 1)
Cost: $5.3 million (Phase 1)
Funding sources: city of Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, Sugar Land tax increment reinvestment zone district



6. Adams Street reconstruction


The project to add new sidewalks and completely reconstruct Adams Street between Texas Parkway and Fifth Street in Missouri City is in the design phase. City Council awarded the design contract to RG Miller in August, and the project’s design is expected to be complete in late 2016. The project will be available for contractor bidding in early 2017 and will take about a year to complete once construction begins.


Timeline: spring 2017-spring 2018
Cost: $2.5 million
Funding sources: Missouri City bond funds

7. Trammel-Fresno Road widening


A project to widen Trammel-Fresno Road from Vicksburg Boulevard to the east side of the bridge over the Fort Bend Toll Road in Missouri City is scheduled for bidding in July 2016. The project will widen Trammel-Fresno Road to a divided, four-lane concrete curb-and-gutter roadway with raised medians. Construction on the project is expected to begin a couple of months after a bid is awarded and will take up to a year to complete.


Timeline: fall 2016-fall 2017
Cost: $2.9 million
Funding sources: Missouri City bond funds, TxDOT



8. Vicksburg Boulevard extension


Construction to extend Vicksburg Boulevard from Aldridge Drive to Lake Olympia Parkway in Missouri City is on schedule for completion by January 2016. The roadway and sidewalks are near completion. Remaining work includes adding the final grading and installing the traffic signal. The scope of the project includes the construction of a mast-arm turn signal and turn-lane improvements at Lake Olympia Parkway, a four-lane boulevard roadway, bicycle lanes in both directions, sidewalks, streetlights and accompanying drainage structures.


Timeline: January 2015-January 2016
Cost: $3.3 million
Funding sources: Fort Bend County, Missouri City Development Authority, Municipal Utility Districts Nos. 47 and 48



9. Turtle Creek Drive reconstruction


The project to replace water lines and remove and replace the road surface on Turtle Creek Drive from Hilton Head Drive to Mission Valley Drive in Missouri City is on schedule for completion in June 2016. As of mid-November the contractor has almost completed the installation of the underground utility lines. Work to pave the new roadway is about 20 percent complete. There will be alternate lane closures throughout the duration of the project. 


Timeline: May 2015-June 2016
Cost: $2.2 million
Funding sources: city of Missouri City