TxDOT hosts Ground Breaking Ceremony for Segment E of Grand Parkway

The Texas Department of Transportation has begun moving dirt for Segment E of the Grand Parkway, which will connect Interstate 10 with U.S. Highway 290.

A ground breaking ceremony was held Tuesday morning at the intersection of State Highway 99 and Franz Road.

“This is a great day,” Texas Transportation Commissioner Ned Holmes said. “We’ve got a lot of work left to do, but it is nice to get it kicked off this morning.”

The 15-mile stretch from Katy Freeway to Northwest Freeway will include four main toll lanes as part of the future loop around the greater Houston area.

“The developing part of Grand Parkway is not only important for the Houston area but also for the state of Texas,” TxDOT interim executive director John Barton said.

He said an environmental analysis indicated that travelers make 975,000 trips a day on just Segment E alone.

“Once completed, it will provide people with more travel options and help mitigate the traffic congestion on the roadway, especially on Highway 290, FM 529, I-10 and Loop 610,” Barton said.

State Senator Tommy Williams of District 4 had authored the bill that provided funding for the project.

“Transportation funding – difficulty in funding in general – was the biggest challenge we found in the state,” he said. “It was with some trepidation that we sent the bill to the House.”

But the bill passed both chambers, and State Senators Joan Huffman of District 17 and Dan Patrick of District 7 and State Representatives Bill Callegari of District 132 and Allen Fletcher of District 130 took turns thanking everyone present for their support in helping to move the project along.

Billy Burge of the Grand Parkway Association also took the opportunity to thank the Sierra Club “for the memories.” The Sierra Club had filed a lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration, claiming the agency failed to do an adequate assessment of the environmental impacts of Segment E.

Cy-Fair Chamber of Commerce president May Evans, Katy Area Chamber of Commerce president Ann Hodge, Katy Area Economic Development Council president Lance LaCour and West Houston Association president Roger Hord also made remarks.

“This project will link U.S. 290 to U.S. 59 – this creates a major corridor for commerce and residential development,” LaCour said.

“This area is going to double the population to nearly 3 million people, and it will be equivalent to the city of Fort Worth, the city of Austin and the city of San Antonio,” Hord said. “This infrastructure is going to open a lot of property and generate a of property taxes.”

He said persistence and courage are the two things TxDOT and the community are celebrating that day.

In conclusion, TxDot interim district engineer Michael Alford read a letter from Congressman Michael McCaul, commending the project for bringing “accessibility and convenience” to his constituents in District 10.

“Segment E will have a tremendous impact on the area’s economic and residential growth and viability for years to come,” the letter said. “The development of transportation project coming to the area has been anticipated for many years now, and it is great to finally see this day of ground breaking become a reality.”

TxDOT awarded four construction contracts totaling approximately $321 million last month.

The project is expected to be completed in 28 months.

For information, go to www.grandpky.com/segments/e.

Katy Area EDC Lance LaCour, made comments and took part in the Grand Parkway Segment E Groundbreaking along with the Houston Legislative Delegation, TxDOT, Texas Transportation Commissioner Ned Holmes, West Houston Association and Area Chamber of Commerce CEO’s Ann Hodge (Katy) and Mary Evans (Cy-Fair). Katy Area EDC supported Segment E and Unified Transportation Plan and testified in support at the Texas Transportation Commission Hearings in Austin with other area organizations earlier this year.