Woodlands Parkway expansion still beleaguers commuters

Photo by Julie Butterfield

The Texas Department of Transportation has yet to hire a new contractor to complete the expansion of Woodlands Parkway. Work was halted in September after TxDOT suspended the previous contractor.

Originally, the Woodlands Parkway expansion from Grogan's Mill Road to East Panther Creek Drive was supposed to be completed December of 2013. But in December of 2014, a full year later, the project was still only 82% complete. And it's still not done.

Problems have riddled the six-lane expansion project. First, deadlines were missed by the original construction company Kingwood-based Menade Inc. TxDOT intervened and suspended Menade last September.

By early December, as debris from Menade still littered that section of Woodlands Parkway, a new contractor still had not been assigned. Yet in mid-December TxDOT spokeswoman Deidrea Samuels said the new contractor, Texas Sterling Construction, was signed on Dec. 4, and the new contractor had 14 days after signing to recommence work on the expansion.

Work by Texas Sterling has begun and TxDOT spokesperson Deidrea Samuels said Texas Sterling has provided a new schedule.

"The latest construction schedule from Texas Sterling puts the opening of the third westbound lane in early March with the substantial completion of the project to the latter part of April or early May," she said.