TRANSPORTATIONUPDATES
COMPILED BY VANESSA HOLT AND KARAMCINTYRE
3
1488
S
242
1314
2978
2
45
ELAN BLVD.
HOW ITWORKS How have statewide propositions increased transportation funds? Two Texas constitutional amend- ments—propositions 1 and 7—have added billions to the State Highway Fund since fiscal year 2017, according to the Texas Department of Transpor- tation. The SHF funds construction, maintenance and right of way acquisi- tion for road projects, TxDOT Informa- tion Specialist AdamHammons said. Proposition 1, which passed in 2014, divides a portion of oil and natural gas production taxes evenly between the SHF and the Economic Stability Fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund. In addition, Proposition 7 passed in 2015 and requires the state comptroller to deposit $2.5 billion of the net revenue from sales and use taxes into the SHF. Including unofficial FY 2019 totals, the two propositions have contributed about $7.8 billion to the SHF since 2017 and are expected to add almost $9 billion in FY 2020-21. “Prop. 1 and Prop. 7 have helped us maintain the funding levels and build new and safer roads,” Hammons said.
R O B I N S O N R
FULLER BLUFF DR.
4
5
MANY PINES RD.
E
1
99 TOLL
LAZY LN.
CONROE- HUFSMITH RD.
N
RAYFORD BEND
RECENT UPDATES 1 Rayford Road expansion
N Map not to scale 4 Gosling Road widening The project to widen Gosling Road to four lanes from south of Flintridge Drive to the Village of Creekside Park is in the design phase. The project includes widening the southbound bridge over Spring Creek. Har- ris County Precinct 4 will oversee the joint project withMontgomery County Precinct 3. Timeline: TBD Cost: $4million (Montgomery County), $5.8million (Harris County) Funding sources: Montgomery County Precinct 3, Harris County Precinct 4 RECENTLY COMPLETED 5 BirnhamWoods Drive improvements The widening of BirnhamWoods Drive from two to four lanes from sorth of Fuller Bluff Drive to north of Elan Boulevard was completed in August, Precinct 3 officials said. The project included installment of traffic signals at the intersection of Birnham Woods and Elan Boulevard as well as Birn- hamWoods and Legends Run, Precinct 3 officials said. Timeline: September 2018-August 2019 Cost: $2.7 million Funding source: Montgomery County Precinct 3
2021 (Phase 1), January 2018-fourth quarter 2019 (Phase 2), October 2018-third quarter 2020 (bridge) Cost: $21.3 million (Phase 1), $12.9 million (Phase 2), $7.6 million (bridge) Funding sources: TxDOT, federal funds
Rayford Road is being expanded from four to six lanes between Lazy Lane and the Grand Parkway. The project also includes constructing a six-lane bridge over the Union Pacific Corp. railroad tracks, installing new traffic signals and adding a raisedme- dian. As of Sept. 1, two westbound lanes on the railroad bridge were open, Montgomery County Precinct 3 officials said. Timeline: April 2017-late 2019 Cost: $53million Funding source: Montgomery County Precinct 3 2 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 wid- ened. As of July, Phase 1 was 32% complete, and Phase 2 was 52% complete. Work on the bridge was 39% complete, according to Emily Black, a public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation. Timeline: September 2018-second quarter
REGIONAL PROJECT
3 Hwy. 242 overpass The project will construct an overpass and widen Hwy. 242 fromwest of FM 1314 to east of FM 1314. The project was 49% complete as of August. 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 9/1/19. News or questions about these or other local transportation projects? Email us at wdlnews@communityimpact.com.
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The Woodlands edition • September 2019
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