Missouri City officials are looking for a long-term solution to increase connectivity for residents in Sienna as housing development in the area continues, Public Works Director Mustafa Albassam said.
The details
At a Sept. 21 meeting, Missouri City City Council approved an agreement with developer Toll-GTIS Property Owner LLC and Sienna Municipal Utility District No. 5 to address traffic circulation in the Sienna area.
The project will widen Sienna Parkway and connect additional roads to FM 521 in an effort to ease traffic congestion, per agenda documents.
The agreement includes:
Widening a portion of Sienna Parkway over the railroad tracks and the portion connecting to FM 521
Building a new road connecting Sienna Lakes Drive to FM 521
Building a new road connecting Park Crossing Drive to One Oak Chase Road, which ultimately connects the route to Fenn Road and FM 521.
MUD 5 will fund up to $10 million to expand Sienna Parkway from four lanes to six from Steep Bank Trace to Scanlan Trace North, which are the two intersections bordering the railroad tracks. Sienna Parkway will also be widened where it meets FM 521.
Zooming out
City Attorney E. Joyce Iyamu said city staff have not approved new developments in the Sienna neighborhood because they recommend addressing traffic circulation issues first.
Albassam said these road improvements will allow developers to continue building homes in the area.
“Anticipating what the future will bring, you need to have capacity and alternate routes for the residents to use,” Albassam said.
Looking back
City officials discussed the potential new roads in May as part of the city’s major thoroughfare plan, which was part of the 2011 mobility master plan, Community Impact reported. The May plan also includes a new Bees Passage bridge and a Miller Road connector.
The city has been looking at ways to ease traffic for years, Albassam said. However, past projects focused on improving chokepoint intersections and this plan focuses on connectivity.
“Each single one of the projects is literally just one piece of the puzzle,” he said.
Looking ahead
Albassam said roads must connect to FM 521 by December 2027, while the widening of Sienna Parkway over the railroad tracks is expected to be completed by 2029.
The funding to cover the construction and design of the expansion will be distributed over three years, with $2 million in 2027 and $4 million each in 2028 and 2029.
