Road construction projects not keeping up with the flow of traffic

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The status of the road construction projects inside The Woodlands proper and the surrounding area has not significantly improved since last reported in the February 3, 2014 article Road construction updates in The Woodlands.

Texas Department of Transportation Project 091237199, the one-mile stretch of the Woodlands Parkway (.895 miles to be exact) being widened to three lanes west of Grogan’s Mill Drive and east of E. Panther Creek, is reported as 47.97 percent completed. That’s a 8.17 percent improvement from February 3.,It’s apparent that the project is approximately 50 percent completed as the south side of the Woodlands Parkway is now open to three lanes of traffic.

Unfortunately TxDOT previously gave a Spring 2014 completion date when that article ran, but according to TxDOT, the completion date has been slipped to June. The first 50 percent of the project was the widening of the south side of the Parkway, which took much longer than two months to complete. It remains to be seen if the north side of the Parkway can be completed in the next month and a half, or even by end of June. Naysayers believe the date will slip again.

In the meantime, the ExxonMobil infusion is on the move and could lap the Parkway construction, exacerbating the already tedious commute. Woodlands residents who use the Parkway for their daily commute to and from work are encouraged to plan accordingly by seeking alternate routes, planning additional travel time, and if at all possible, traveling at off-peak traffic times.

The status of the other major construction project inside The Woodlands, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) for the Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP) is as scheduled.

- Segment W1A at the intersection of FM 2978 and Research Forest (from FM 2978 to Branch Crossing Drive) is scheduled for completion May 2014.

- Segment W1B at Branch Crossing,from E. Alden Bridge to Greenbridge Drive, is also scheduled for completion May 2014.

- Segment W2A from Greenbridge to Grogan’s Mill Road will be done in phases, and is scheduled to be completed October 2014. Expect lane closures approximately mid-August for the 1.5 mile segment between Grogan’s Mill Rd and Trillium.

- Segment W2B at the intersection of Grogans Mill and Research Forest, is also scheduled for an Oct. 2014 completion date.

- Segment W3A runs along South Millbend Drive to SJRA Water Plant No. 1, also being constructed in phases, is scheduled to be completed Oct. 2014.

- Segment W3B from Pruitt Road to Rayford Road is targeted for completion March 15.

- Segment W4 is in two segments: Research Forest Drive southwest on Shadow Bend, and northeast along Gosling road. This 2-phase project is slated for completion May 2014.

By all accounts the SJRA Groundwater Reduction Plan appears to be adhering to their schedule.

Maps are provided with current traffic updates, and construction sites. By clicking on specific areas of the county, completion dates are provided on the construction phases. The website can be accessed at SJRA GRP Construction and Traffic Updates. Also reference The Woodlands Township’s website at Major Roadway and Utility Construction.

The status of one of the busiest intersections in the county, the SH 242/I-45N toll connectors (flyovers) is shrouded in ambiguity. The TxDot site lists a Project #353801038 as ‘Freeway Ramps’ but the date at the 30 percent completion point is February 2012, not 2014, with no further updates provided. See Texas Department of Transportation Project Detail.

The Woodlands Township website lists road closures at the SH 242/I-45N intersection but no completion date. Instead it directs you to a website at Montgomery County Transportation Program which simply states that the toll connector project will be operational in 2014. Well, it’s 2014.