Grand Parkway work creates major traffic snarls
Construction of the Grand Parkway between Interstate 45 and U.S. 59 is causing severe traffic backups in southern Montgomery County, drawing the ire of drivers and local officials.
“The traffic gridlock resulting from the construction is like nothing I have ever witnessed, and I believe it to be a hazardous situation,” Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack wrote in a letter his office released Thursday.
The letter to Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Tryon Lewis urged officials to find a better way to move traffic around the construction. When completed, this segment of the parkway will allow toll-paying users quick access between the two highways, as well as to the Hardy Toll Road.
The Texas Department of Transportation and Zachry-Odebrecht — the consortium building the tollway — are evaluating options for how to improve traffic
flow, TxDOT spokeswoman Raquelle Lewis said.
“We understand the frustration of those facing the increase in traffic congestion experienced during our current phase of work,” Lewis said in a statement.
Understanding the concerns isn’t enough, Noack said in an interview.
“We are demanding that something be done,” he said. “We need some help to force TxDOT to force (Zachry-Odebrecht) to make sure when they build this they are doing it as safely as possible.”
Crews are building more than 38 miles of the Grand Parkway from U.S. 290 in northwestern Harris County to U.S. 59 north of Kingwood.
The entire route will open later this year, probably in November or December, extending the tollway from Fort Bend County north through Katy and across northwestern and northern Harris County.
The segments opening in the coming months might be the most crucial to relieving growing traffic congestion in rapidly growing northern Harris and southern Montgomery counties.
Construction, however, has come with growing pains, drivers say.
“It’s been bad,” said Ryan Graham, who lives and works near Riley Fuzzel and Birnham Woods roads, close to the parkway’s path.
“If you’re headed anywhere on Riley Fuzzel, it might take 15 or 20 minutes more to get somewhere just to get through.”
The bottlenecks are limited to the construction area, but they are severely affecting traffic for many travelers between Interstate 45 and FM 1314, about six miles east. Graham said the reduction of Riley Fuzzel from two lanes to one in each direction during construction creates the problem, and poor timing of traffic lights exacerbates it.
“Everybody just stacks up waiting for the light,” Graham said.
Noack said he has received about 500 complaints from area drivers and residents.
The commissioner blamed some of the problems on the contractor, which can collect bonuses for finishing construction early and faces penalties for late completion.
“At first, it was a perception that things were moving fast all of a sudden,” Noack said.
“Then as things continued it has appeared they are more interested in getting the road completed than the safety of my constituents.”
Lewis said TxDOT and the builder are exploring ways to make work zones safer and reduce traffic disruptions, specifically in the vicinity of Riley Fuzzel and Rayford Road.
Part of that evaluation could include changing how traffic is controlled.
Even with the most efficient traffic signals or police directing traffic, however, delays are inevitable as crews work in the area.
Lewis said TxDOT and the builder alert local police, elected officials and homeowners associations to potential changes and closings.
Even when construction is finished and commuters start motoring down the tollway, Graham said he expects the area to have heavy traffic.
“It’s growing so much,” he said of the Spring area. “That is the thing with progress.”