Montgomery County OKs road contracts

worsen traffic congestion in the built-out township.

With no discussion Tuesday morning, Montgomery County commissioners approved two contracts related to the project. The court awarded land-surveying services to Tomball-based Arborleaf Engineering and Surveying Inc. for $264,855 and engineering services for the project to Houstonbased R. G. Miller Engineers Inc. for $264,477.

Costs questioned

Gordy Bunch, the new chairman of the township board, said he was surprised to hear about the project.

“It goes against the communications we had with Commissioner Riley and Judge (Craig) Doyal,” said Bunch, adding that there was supposed to be discussion before any movement on the connection. “No one was notified that I was aware of.

“So to go forward with a project … is disappointing, that’s the nice word.”

Bunch questioned the cost of the contracts approved by commissioners, the reason for the relocation, and what happens to the rights of way already purchased for the project.

Riley could not be reached for comment.

Doyal said Riley is using his budget for the engineering costs and added that the rights of way still would be used. No timeline was available.

The issue arose in early 2015 when residents learned that Riley was planning to extend Woodlands Parkway, a project that was included in a $350 million road bond referendum set to go before voters in May of that year.

Concerned about an increase in traffic in the community, residents of The Woodlands urged county commissioners to remove the project from the May bond. But the court, specifically Riley, refused to take the project off his list. And on May 9, 2015, voters rejected the bond, with more than 57 percent of county voters opposing it.

In August 2015, the court agreed to move forward with another road bond for the Nov. 3 ballot, this time in the amount of $280 million.

That referendum excluded several projects, including the Woodlands Parkway extension.

Voters easily approved the $280 million road bond measure, with more than 63 percent of voters for it.

The extension of Woodlands Parkway has been part of the long-term thoroughfare plan since the late 1980s, but controversy over it only dates back to its inclusion in the May 2015 road bond.

Nevertheless, county commissioners agreed last year to keep the parkway extension in the long-term plan.

Most of the opposition has come from Precinct 3 in The Woodlands, where residents said they didn’t want the project, which is within Riley’s Precinct 2. They were concerned it would funnel more traffic through The Woodlands.

Debate over route

Riley has maintained his constituents, particularly in Magnolia, want and need the connector and that it is unlikely motorists would use the route through The Woodlands as a way east to Interstate 45.

Community leaders in The Woodlands, including Precinct 3 County Commissioner James Noack, urged Riley to select a route farther south. One option was widening Hardin Store Road to carry more traffic between FM 2978 and Texas 249, which is being widened and extended north by Harris and Montgomery counties.

Eventually, officials envision new toll lanes spurring the creation of an “Aggie Highway,” a widened Texas 249 between Houston and College Station that will in turn allow for faster trips to Waco.

Bunch also favors widening Hardin Store Road, noting that it makes “more sense” to widen an existing road rather than build a new one.

“You can straighten out that goofy 90-degree turn on Hardin Store and widen it before you get around to building a one-lane road between Mansions Drive and Dobbin Huffsmith Road,” Bunch said.

But Riley, along with Doyal, said widening Hardin Store Road was not a viable option because of the difficulty in obtaining rights of way. According to Doyal, one of the main reasons he purchased the majority of rights of way for the future extension of Woodlands Parkway while he served as Precinct 2 Commissioner was because it was more difficult to purchase such land along Hardin Store Road. He said the railroad tracks that cross Hardin Store Road would be a challenge.

In February, the township board approved a resolution opposing the extension of Woodlands Parkway, Branch Crossing north, Gosling Road north and Grogan’s Mill north. Bunch said he likely will ask the newly elected board to affirm that resolution.