TRANSPORTATIONUPDATES
COMPILED BY VANESSA HOLT AND MARIE LEONARD
1488
5
R
242
1314
4
HOW ITWORKS Red-light cameras now illegal in state of Texas House Bill 1631 was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 1, prohibiting municipalities across Texas from using traffic signal enforcement settings, or red-light cameras. Although the bill prohibits the use of red-light cameras, it also stipulates those cities in an existing contract may continue to operate the system until its expiration date. However, when the bill became law, numerous cities across the state opted to start the process to end contracts immediately. Texas lawmakers had filed numerous bills since 2014 to repeal or prohibit red-light cameras, but none made it to the governor’s desk until the 86th legislative session this spring, according to Abbott’s office. The owner of a vehicle who violated the traffic signal could previously be fined up to $75, according to the Legislative Budget Board. The bill also states vehicle owners who did not pay a previous violation cannot be refused anymore by a county tax-assessor collector or the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to update their vehicle registration.
45
ELAN BLVD.
FULLER BLUFF DR.
2978
R O B I N S O N
3
2
1
CREEKSIDE FOREST DR.
CONROE- HUFSMITH RD.
LAZY LN.
N
RECENT UPDATES
1 Rayford Road expansion This project will widen Rayford Road from four to six lanes between Lazy Lane and the Grand Parkway, construct a six-lane bridge over the Union Pacific Corp. railroad tracks, install new traffic signals and add a raised median. As of mid-June, concrete had been poured for two westbound lanes east of the Union Pacific bridge and drainage pipe installation was nearly complete. The project was slated for 135 more work days as of late June. Timeline: April 2017-late 2019 Cost: $53 million Funding source: Montgomery County Precinct 3 2 BirnhamWoods Drive improve- ments BirnhamWoods Drive will be widened from two to four lanes from 500 feet north of Fuller Bluff Drive to 500 feet north of Elan Boulevard. Signal poles were added to the intersections of BirnhamWoods with Legends Run Drive and Elan, Precinct 3 officials said. As of mid-June, crews were putting the final touches on the bridge and
completing median work. Timeline: September 2018-August 2019 Cost: $2.7 million Funding source: Montgomery County Precinct 3 3 Gosling Road widening A project to widen Gosling Road to four lanes from south of Flintridge Drive to the Village of Creekside Park is underway in conjunction with Harris County Precinct 4. The project includes widening the southbound bridge over Spring Creek. it is in the design phase as of June and Harris County will oversee the project, Precinct 3 officials said. Timeline: TBD Cost: $4 million (Montgomery County), $5.8 million (Harris County) Funding sources: Montgomery County Precinct 3, Harris County Precinct 4 4 FM2978 widening The project will widen FM 2978 from two to four lanes with a center turn lane from FM 1488 to south of Dry Creek in Phase 1, and from south of Dry Creek to Conroe-
Hufsmith Road in Phase 2. The existing bridge over Spring Creek will also be widened. As of June, the first phase of the project was 27% complete, and the second phase of the project was 44% complete, according to Emily Black, a public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation. The project also includes widening the Spring Creek Bridge from two to four lanes. Timeline: September 2018-second quarter 2021 (Phase 1), January 2018-fourth quarter 2019 (Phase 2), October 2018-third quarter 2020 (bridge) Cost: $21.3 million (Phase 1), $12.8 million (Phase 2), $7.6 million (bridge) Funding sources: TxDOT, federal funds 5 Hwy. 242 overpass The project will construct a grade sepa- ration at Hwy. 242 fromwest of FM 1314 to east of FM 1314. This is the first of four projects to construct an overpass at Hwy. 242 and FM 1314. Timeline: July 2018-third quarter 2020 Cost: $23.5 million Funding source: TxDOT
All information on this page was updated as of 6/20/19. News or questions about these or other local transportation projects? Email us at wdlnews@communityimpact.com.
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The Woodlands edition • July 2019
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