Second half of Grogan's Mill Road up next for SJRA lane closures

Once the utilities are in place, crews will then begin the process of repaving the roadway that has been removed. After that segment is complete, the only section remaining to have pipeline installed will be about a half-mile segment of Research Forest Drive in front of The Woodlands High School. The segment will begin in the summer of 2014, while school is not in session.

In October, the SJRA agreed to spend an additional $1 million to increase construction on Research Forest Drive to 24/7 so the project timeline would be shortened to Jan. 1.

"The section we're working on now is the most challenging in terms of impact on traffic and the restrictions on the schedule," Smith said.

Ronda Trow, public relations manager for the SJRA, said construction on the northernmost portions of Grogan's Mill Drive to Research Forest Drive, which intersection with the Market Street shopping center, was scheduled to begin after the holiday shopping season. She said that portion is scheduled to be complete by April.

Meanwhile, residents of The Woodlands, Oak Ridge North and unincorporated parts of South Montgomery County began seeing increased water rates in October because of the Groundwater Reduction Plan.

Trow said water rates increased 50 cents in October from $1.25 per 1,000 gallons of water used to $1.75. By 2016, the rates will be $2.50 per 1,000 gallons of usage. The rate increases are helping fund the $480 million Groundwater Reduction Plan, which also includes construction of a dam at Lake Conroe, 13 water plants and two surface water treatment plants.

The Groundwater Reduction Plan is a mandate by the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, which oversees water usage in Montgomery County, that all water users in the county must reduce their reliance on groundwater by 30 percent by 2016.

To accomplish that goal, the SJRA is installing pipeline from Lake Conroe to water plants throughout South Montgomery County to distribute water drawn from the lake to users.