Construction that began in March on Hwy. 290 near Beltway 8 signifies the first portion of the project to begin in Northwest Houston—and orange barrels will not be in short supply along the corridor during the next several years.

"I know that residents of Cy-Fair will be inconvenienced for a short while, but in the long term we will have better mobility in and out of Cy-Fair for our commuters into the Galleria [area] or downtown," said Leslie Martone, president of the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce.

Construction started in March on Project G, which runs from west of FM 529 to east of W. Little York. It will cost $86.8 million to construct and is expected to be completed by fall 2016. When the project is finished, it is expected to reduce the number of accidents that cause delays on the highway that sees 1,500 accidents annually and stop-and-go traffic conditions for hours on the weekdays, said Karen Othon, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation.

"Houston's rapid population growth has transformed the Hwy. 290 corridor from a two-lane road that served 15,260 vehicles per day at the Hwy. 290 and Loop 610 interchange in 1960 into a facility moving approximately 258,000 vehicles per day," she said. "Not only will sections of this road be ready 20 years ahead of schedule, it could save drivers 20 minutes in commute time during peak hours on Hwy. 290 from Loop 610 to the [Grand Parkway]."

There are several parts involved with Segment G, including reconstruction of the W. Little York bridge over Hwy. 290; the FM 529 and Senate intersections; Hwy. 290 frontage road and main lanes from W. Little York to FM 529 and construction of the Beltway 8 frontage road where it intersects with Hwy. 290.

Two additional segments that run through Northwest Houston are expected to be put out for bid this year.

Work is expected to begin in November on Project F, which will improve the area between Eldridge Parkway and FM 529. Additionally, Segment D, which runs from Telge to Mueschke, is expected to be put out for bid this September.