Construction of an overpass on Lake Woodlands Drive from Lake Front Circle to just west of Six Pines Drive is slated to begin during the second quarter of 2016.

The $8 million overpass will have four lanes to allow traffic on Lake Woodlands Drive to bypass the light at Grogan’s Mill Road, said Dan Kolkhorst, vice president of land development for The Woodlands Development Company.

“It’s an incredibly impressive project,” said J.J. Hollie, The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. “It’s not your typical run of the mill, throw-a-bunch-of-concrete-up-there overpass. It will have a definite Woodlands flair to it.”

Hollie said the existing trees surrounding the overpass will be protected, and any that are removed will be replanted. The portions of the guardrails that will face outward will be garnished with ivy.

Hollie said there is not much need for reconstruction on the surface street of Lake Woodlands Drive because the overpass was planned for in advance.

“Construction of this overpass was anticipated in The Woodlands’ master plan and the right of way was set aside for that purpose,” Kolkhorst said.

The overpass should be finished by mid-2017. All existing lanes of Grogan’s Mill Road and Lake Woodlands Drive will remain in service during construction with minimal lane closures.

According to Hollie, lighting on the overpass will be embedded in the guardrails.

“It’s going to still be relatively hidden,” Hollie said. “If you’re at [The Woodlands United] Methodist Church, that tree barrier is going to be retained, so you’re not going to see this concrete jungle look.”

The traffic at Lake Woodlands Drive and Grogan’s Mill Road backs up when people are trying to turn left into Market Street, Hollie said. Once the overpass is complete, drivers will be able to make a U-turn and then turn right into H-E-B and Market Street.

“It’s a bottleneck,” Hollie said. “With the increased traffic, there is some danger with some of the median crossings to get into the businesses there and some really blind spots.”

Construction of the overpass will facilitate smoother traffic flow and shave minutes off commute times, Kolkhorst said.

“Congestion at the intersection of Grogan’s Mill and Lake Woodlands Drive will be significantly reduced as a result of this project,” he said. “These improvements should prevent major delays from occurring at this intersection for years to come.”