Next phase of Grand Parkway to begin

On track to being US’ longest

Matt Dietrichson, Feb 20, 12.

The ambitious and oft criticized plan to build a 180-mile ring road around Houston is entering its next phase of construction, according to Transportation Nation:

Once finished, the Grand Parkway is expected to become the longest beltway in the country. It will pass through seven counties and encircle the two existing loops, the 45-mile Interstate-610 loop and the 88-mile State Beltway 8.

State transportation officials say the goal of the Grand Parkway project is to improve connectivity between the major north-south and east-west arteries that head into downtown Houston, helping commuters avoid surface streets and traffic lights. Some suburbs north of the city have seen a 40% population increase in the past decade.

Critics say the project fuels sprawl.

The Grand Parkway project started showing up on regional planning maps in the 1960′s. Once the project was designed, it was divided into 11 segments, and currently only two of those segments are open to traffic. Segment D, a 17-mile stretch that connects U.S. Highway 59 to Interstate-10 west of the city, opened in 1994. Another 14 mile segment east of Houston opened in 2008. Construction is now underway on a third segment, Segment E, a 15-mile section connecting Interstate-10 and U.S. Highway 290. That segment is set to open in late 2013.

The state will now begin work on three new segments. Segment F-1 is a 12-mile section connecting U.S. Highway 290 and State Highway 249/Tomball Parkway. From there, segment F-2 runs another 12 miles, connecting 249 with Interstate 45. Segment G will run 14 miles between I-45 and U.S. Highway 59.