Motorists in north Houston who were expecting to use the city’s third outer loop by early 2016 will have to wait a few more months. Contractor Zachry-Odebrecht Parkway Builders has announced segments F-1, F-2 and G of the Grand Parkway will open sometime in the first quarter of 2016.

“All three segments are scheduled to be open first quarter of 2016,” public information officer Ibette Cavazos said. “We don’t have an exact date yet. Once that becomes available, we’ll share that.”

Originally planned for completion by the end of 2015, segments F-1 and F-2 of the Grand Parkway will consist of tolled roadway from Hwy. 290 to I-45, while Segment G will connect I-45 and
Hwy. 59 when completed. Construction of the $1 billion tollway has been funded and overseen by the Texas Department of Transportation.

The Grand Parkway segments will provide additional roadway capacity to help alleviate increased traffic, Zachry-Odebrecht officials said. Construction of the project has been hampered due to recent weather conditions.

Although the project has been delayed, Zachry-Odebrecht achieved a significant milestone in December by setting all of the beams and bridge decks for the project. A total of 121 bridge decks and 3,802 concrete beams were set for the toll road, officials said.

A project conceived more than 50 years ago, the more than 200-mile tollway will become Houston’s third outer loop when completed. Segment E of the Grand Parkway, from I-10 to Hwy. 290, was completed in December 2013.