Transportation
BY COMMUNITY IMPACT STAFF
Hwy. 242 median concept design approved The Woodlands Township board of directors approved a concept design Jan. 16 for the Hwy. 242 median being constructed by the Texas Depart- ment of Transportation for $700,000 as part of a traffic flow enhancement project. The context The median design is part of a number of lane improvements along the 4.36-mile stretch of Hwy. 242 from I-45 to FM 1488 by TxDOT such as widening and restriping. John McGowan, the township’s director of parks and recreation, said the new medians would include foliage shared across all township entry signs and medians. TxDOT will fund the landscaping and median construction as part of the agreement made with the township in 2022, which only required the township to cover the cost of a conceptual design. According to contract documents between the
IAH Terminal B lobby to close until 2026 The Terminal B lobby at George Bush Intercontinental Airport temporarily closed beginning Jan. 21 due to progress in the $2.5 billion expansion of the terminal, per a news release from United Airlines. The terminal, where passengers currently check in for flights, pass through Trans- portation Security Administration security and claim baggage, is expected to reopen in 2026, per the release. The background The terminal’s expansion broke ground in November 2023, Community Impact previously reported, and is expected to be completed by 2028. The project is set to include 40 new gates, new United Club Early bag storage facility and two concession hubs.
County looks to widen Kuykendahl Road Montgomery County Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley on Jan. 22 presented a potential plan to widen Kuykendahl Road to members of The Woodlands Township board of directors which he said could be funded through future county bond elections. At the meeting, Riley said the road would be expanded between FM 1488 to Research Forest Drive and include: • An increase from two to four lanes • Additional traffic signals to Kendall Green Drive • Turn lane improvements The conditions Riley said if the May bond election called by county commissioners receives voter support, it will be several years before construction can begin after engineering and design work is completed.
Officials approve $61M IAH upgrades The George Bush Intercontinental Airport is set to start construction this year on two taxiway improvements after Houston City Council approved the $61 million project during a Feb. 5 City Council meeting. About the project The project will have New York-based Posillico Civil working on the improvements for taxiways SA and SB. Taxiways SA and SB run east to west just south of Terminal E, according to the airport diagram. The Houston Airport System public information office said in a Feb. 6 email that the projects are necessary to maintain the airfield safety standards and address existing deterioration.
Hwy. 242 construction area
1488
Traffic signal
1488
242
45
KENDALL GREEN DR.
242
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However, Riley said he has budgeted $8 million toward designing the project as part of the current bond planning process. The full cost of the project was not discussed at the meeting, and construc- tion would be funded by future bonds, he said. Township board member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs said her main concern was managing speeding along the roadway and ensuring there would still be natural barriers to block out noise pollution.
township and TxDOT, construction on the median improvements is set to begin in late 2025. Quote of note “We believe that [Hwy.] 242 should look like the rest of our main thoroughfares, and whatever we’ve got to do to make that happen ... [we’ve got to] make sure that we’re on top of that,” said Brad Bailey, chair of The Woodlands Township board of directors.
CONROE 1304 W Davis (936) 539-8787 NORTH CONROE 18434 Hwy 105 W (936) 582-5410
MONTGOMERY PLAZA 1420 N Loop 336 W (936) 441-7161
WILLIS 9618 FM 1097 (936) 228-0385
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