Rayford Road widening on schedule
While Hurricane Harvey slowed work on the $50 million Rayford Road widening project, Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack said the project is on schedule to be completed by mid-2019.
“There were slight delays during the (storm),” said Noack, adding it is difficult to move utilities when the ground is saturated. “We are moving ahead.”
The widening project was approved by voters in November 2015 as part of Montgomery County’s $280 million road bond referendum. Earlier this year, Noack announced the project was $10 million under its original budget of $60 million. The widening of the road was Noack’s largest project on the road bond list for his precinct.
Montgomery County Commissioners awarded the construction contract to Conroe-based Smith and Company, which had the lowest bid at $26,695,966.39.
Noack had budgeted construction costs at $35 million to widen Rayford Road to six lanes, build a six-lane bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad, install new traffic signals and signage, improve and synchronize traffic lights, install additional traffic lights to assist residents in and out of neighborhoods, build a raised meMemorial
dian to enhance safety of left-turning motorists and perform drainage improvements.
“There is a dip in construction right now and we were able to take full advantage of it,” Noack said in a previous Villager article. “This project is shaping up to look really, really good, which means we will be able to do some of the other projects on our list, which is what I was hoping for.”
In addition to the construction costs, Noack said the purchase of the rights of way for widening Rayford Road came in at $13.3 million, under the $16 million allotted. The county contracted with RPS Klotz Associates for the rightof-way mapping and acquisition services for 56 parcels, final design and construction documents for the project and public outreach. That contract was $1.9 million and was approved Dec. 8, 2015.
Noack also is expected to begin the widening of Woodlands Parkway from Grogan’s Mill Road to Interstate 45 in December. The cost of that project is about $10 million. Additionally, the widening of Woodlands Parkway from Kuykendahl Road to Forest Gate Drive toward the back of The Woodlands will begin in December as well. The cost of that project is about $1 million.