The city of Tomball plans to begin construction work on two large projects in 2014 to keep pace with growth in the city and plan for the city's future mobility needs. The projects include extending Medical Complex Drive and building a drainage channel near Hwy. 249.

The city is moving forward with plans to help with mobility near Tomball Regional Medical Center by extending Medical Complex Drive through to South Cherry Street and eventually extending the street to Hwy. 249.

"It's going to be an east/west corridor that will provide gained access to the hospital and other medical facilities," Tomball City Manager George Shackelford said.

The Medical Complex Drive extension, which will cost $50 million, is broken up into five phases. The city is first focusing on Phase 3, which involves connecting Medical Complex Drive from where it dead-ends in the hospital area through to Cherry Street. That part of the project is estimated to cost $6.4 million—funds the city has already secured, in part from the Tomball Economic Development Corporation and funding in the city budget.

City officials are in the process of obtaining the land needed to complete the extension. There are still two pieces of property left to obtain. Once that process is complete, which is anticipated by the first part of the year, the city will move forward with the construction.

The city is also nearing completion on new sidewalks to connect Tomball Regional with area doctor's offices.

The city expects to start construction in the first part of 2014 on the M121 drainage channel in Tomball. The channel, which will run along Cherry Street, will provide an avenue for water to drain from the downtown area into a detention pond. The M121 channel is budgeted at $10.8 million, Shackelford said.

The city is in the process of obtaining five parcels of land needed for the project. The city has closed on, or is about to close on, three parcels, and is still working on obtaining the two remaining pieces of land.

The drainage channel will take two years to build, Shackelford said.

"It creates a relief channel right through the center of town," he said. "This will relieve a lot of detention issues for future development."