The overview
At a May 21 meeting, Sugar Land City Council approved an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation to support an additional left-turn lane on Settlers Way Boulevard.
The project design calls for narrowing the median to allow space for the additional lane as well as modifying the existing median opening to allow only left-turn entries into The Shops at Williams Trace, according to agenda documents. The existing median design allows for cars exiting the shopping center to turn left onto Settlers Way, cutting off queued vehicles.
The $300,000 construction project will be funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to the city’s 2023-27 Capital Improvement Program documents.
The background
From 2016 to 2018, the Sugar Land Traffic Division saw 14 accidents in the area, according to agenda documents. After hearing numerous residents’ concerns about traffic congestion and queuing issues, Sugar Land staff contracted professional engineering services in 2019 to conduct turn-lane analysis and develop alternatives for review. Public meetings were held in July 2020 and September 2021, where residents shared opinions on proposed solutions, according to agenda documents.
Design for the project was contracted with Epic Transportation Group, LLC in October 2021 and was completed in February 2022.
Looking ahead
Construction on the Settlers Way project is estimated to begin in late fall, Sugar Land Communications Director Doug Adolph said in an email. Project construction is expected to take approximately three months to complete, he said.
