TxDOT proposes $209 million widening of Grand Parkway between Springwoods Village Parkway and Townsen Boulevard

The Texas Department of Transportation is proposing a $209 million widening of a 6.73-mile stretch of the Grand Parkway through the Spring area in Harris and Montgomery counties. The project would run between Springwoods Village Parkway and Townsen Boulevard and would be funded by toll revenue, TxDOT said.

The plan would add one 12-foot-wide main lane in each direction, bringing the roadway from two lanes to three in each direction. It would also replace the existing depressed grassy median with 10-foot-wide paved shoulders on both the inside and outside of the lanes and install concrete traffic barriers.

TxDOT said no additional right-of-way is required. The section being considered for widening already has a 400- to 420-foot right-of-way, two 12-foot-wide main lanes in each direction and intermittent two-lane frontage roads. The agency said no new frontage roads are part of the proposal.

The project also includes direct connectors from southbound I-45 to the eastbound Grand Parkway and from the westbound Grand Parkway to northbound I-45. Each connector would have one 14-foot-wide lane, an 8-foot-wide outside shoulder and a 4-foot-wide inside shoulder, TxDOT said.

TxDOT said the widening is needed to keep traffic moving at speeds required under the toll road's operating terms. The roadway must maintain at least a Level of Service C, a rating on a scale where A represents no delays and F represents the heaviest congestion.

“Due to ongoing growth and development in the area, State Highway 99 is unable to maintain a Level C; therefore, the roadway must be widened,” according to a TxDOT presentation.

No new stormwater detention ponds are proposed. TxDOT said existing drainage features, including storm sewers, ditches and detention ponds, are being analyzed to determine whether minor changes are needed to handle additional capacity. The agency said it also does not plan new noise barriers.

The Grand Parkway was first conceptualized in the 1960s. It spans 180 miles and passes through seven counties, with its first segment opening in 1994, according to TxDOT. The section between I-45 and Highway 59, known as Section G, opened in 2016.

TxDOT has already held a virtual public meeting on Sept. 22 and an in-person open house on Sept. 24. The agency is accepting written comments by mail, email or in-person dropoff through Oct. 9.

Environmental studies began in 2026. TxDOT said environmental decisions and detailed design are expected in early 2027, followed by construction starting in late 2027. The agency said the project is expected to take five years to complete.

In addition to toll revenue, the project could receive federal funds. TxDOT said it will conduct an environmental impact analysis.