Woodlands Parkway expansion still on hold as TxDOT seeks contractor

Menade was hired in 2012 to expand Woodlands Parkway, an estimated $3.6 million dollar project, from four lanes to six lanes. The eastbound lane expansion was completed earlier this year but experienced drainage problems near the Grogan's Mill Road intersection.

Menade was fined $785 per day for each day the project went over the agreed-upon 246 working days. According to TxDOT, the project was halted after Menade had worked for 450 days, 204 past deadline.

Powers said bids for a new construction company were due Nov. 7, and the decision by TxDOT was to have occurred the week of Nov. 10.

However, as of press time, TxDOT had not announced the new contractor or a new completion date.

"We don't have a definite time frame as of this point," TxDOT spokeswoman Raquelle Lewis said. "We're still waiting on official communications from [the] surety [company], and we don't yet have a schedule we can provide."

As identified by SBA.gov, a surety company guarantees a new contractor will be secured if a contractor defaults.

Powers said that once the new contractor does begin work, completion of the expansion could occur quickly.

"TxDOT thinks the new contractor could open the westbound lane in 31 days, and then 90 days to complete the whole job," he said.

Powers said once a new contractor is selected, several agreements would still need to be reached before construction could begin.

"The next step in the process for the new construction company to begin work is a completion agreement between the new contractor and the surety company, and then they'll have a takeover agreement between the surety company and TxDOT," Powers said.

The agreement then goes through attorney review and the state office, he said.

"They are working with TxDOT to do a transfer agreement from the previous contractor to the new contractor," Powers said..