During its July 30 meeting, the Texas Transportation Commission approved $3.8 million in funds for FM 2920 improvements in Tomball. The commission awarded three construction contracts to Smith & Company Highway Contractors to repair and overlay a 3.2-mile stretch of FM 2920 and Business 249. The project will begin construction this fall and is scheduled to wrap up by early 2016, said Kristina Hadley, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation Houston district. As part of the project, TxDOT has allocated $1.72 million to repair the base of the road and place overlay mix on Business 249 from 0.28-miles north of FM 2920 to 1.1 miles south of FM 2920. In addition, TxDOT has allotted $210,470 to carry out the same improvements on a 0.1-mile portion of FM 2920 from the Hwy. 249 frontage road to Business 249. The third portion of the project, which is estimated to cost $1.88 million, also includes base repair and overlay mix improvements on a 1.7-mile section of FM 2920 from Business 249 to Howard Street. “These projects aim to relieve traffic congestion, improve safety and help beautify roads in the Houston district,” Hadley said. The Texas Transportation Commission oversees TxDOT with five members appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott and an executive director selected by the members. Other FM 2920 additions More FM 2920 road improvements are also on the horizon for Tomball. The city of Tomball applied for a Houston-Galveston Area Council grant in late December to help fund an estimated $25 million to $30 million of FM 2920 improvements from the Four Corners Shopping Center area to Sycamore Street. The improvements include adding a right-turn lane from Business 249 to FM 2920, removing on-street parking and adding medians and center-turn lanes as well as widening sidewalks in the Old Town Tomball area between Pine and Elm streets. The H-GAC grant is expected to be decided on in late summer or early fall. If approved, H-GAC would fund 80 percent of the project, and TxDOT would provide the remaining 20 percent of funding.