Harris County Commissioners Court approved the preliminary Tomball Tollway Phase 2 design July 28.[/caption]

During its July 28 meeting, Harris County Commissioners Court approved the preliminary design for the Tomball Tollway Phase 2 extension project on Hwy. 249.

“Approval of this schematic will set the alignment, establish the right of way limits for the roadway and detention [pond] sites and allow the final engineering design to be completed for the project,” said Mary Benton, Harris County Toll Road Authority media relations and public affairs manager.

HCTRA is working with TxDOT, the Harris County Flood Control District and the city of Tomball to develop Phase 2 of the project. Construction on the 1.5-mile project is scheduled to begin late 2016 and wrap up within two years, Benton said.

The estimated project cost has increased from $175 million to $187 million. It includes a $25 million reimbursement from the Texas Department of Transportation to construct frontage roads, and $20 million from the Houston-Galveston Area Council for regional drainage improvements, Benton said.

The 6-mile, $155 million Tomball Tollway Phase 1 extension opened to traffic April 12. Phase 2 will extend the toll lanes north of FM 2920 to the Harris County line at Spring Creek.

In addition, Montgomery County plans to construct its $122.4 million portion of the Hwy. 249 extension at the same time frame as Harris County. The 4.4-mile segment will span from north of Spring Creek to the Hwy. 249 and FM 149 intersection in Pinehurst.