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Project Information

SH 242 Widening TxDOT 1/12/2015 2:18:35 PM

Project Narrative

The need for the project is based upon the following congestion, safety, operations/state of good repair, and economic problems, including: Population, economic growth and development; safety concerns, including high crashes and multiple fatalities (5 fatalities on SH 242 from Needham to IH 69/US 59 from 2011-2014); current truck traffic is at seven percent and expected to increase; and roadway design deficiencies. Currently, SH 242 between Needham Drive and IH 69/US 59 is a two-lane highway, functionally classified as a minor arterial. SH 242 is the primary east-west corridor in south Montgomery County linking IH 45 to IH 69/US 59 and one of the only facilities that efficiently crosses the San Jacinto River. IH 45 and IH 69/US 59 are major radial interstates/highways that feed into the metropolitan Houston area and serve as primary routes between Houston and Montgomery County. SH 242 serves the growing commercial and residential areas located east of The Woodlands and south of the City of Conroe. Rapid economic and population growth along SH 242, consisting of a mix of commercial, industrial, medical, residential, including a medical center and Lone Star College-Montgomery and the University Center, has impacted traffic on SH 242. Montgomery County is one of the fastest growing counties in Texas. According to the US Census Bureau’s population estimates, the total population of Montgomery County was estimated to be 499,137 in 2013, an almost 10% increase since the 2010 Census. The total population of Montgomery County grew by 55% between the 2000 (population: 293,768) and 2010 Census (population: 455,746). As a result, congestion and traffic delays have increased within the project area. Within the corridor, the western section of the roadway has experienced the greatest amount of growth over the past 15 years, but that is changing. With the development of SH 99 to the south, additional development is beginning to occur. Furthermore, a developer has purchased 630 acres of land at the corner of SH 242 and IH 69/US 59 which will be developed as a theme park and entertainment complex. This development will not only have an Astroworld-type theme park, but will also include hotels, retail, baseball fields, and other entertainment venues. This is going to spur additional development and exacerbate congestion and increase crashes on SH 242. Currently, the intersection of SH 242 and FM 1314 is at grade and experiences congestion. This intersection is a key junction for people wanting to head south into the communities of Porter and Kingwood. Current and projected growth in this corridor is anticipated to generate additional traffic volumes beyond the capacity of the existing transportation facility. Additionally, the new direct connectors between SH 242 and IH 45 are expected to further increase traffic volumes along SH 242. SH 242 from IH 45 to Needham has already been widened to a four-lane divided facility with two lanes in each direction. The purpose of the proposed improvements to SH 242 is to increase efficiency and safety of the traveling public. The improvements to SH 242 are in response to existing crash data, traffic volumes, projected traffic growth along the corridor, increased commercial and residential development, as well as the use of SH 242 as the primary east-west corridor north of FM 1960 or BW 8. Adding roadway capacity would allow for more efficient movement of vehicular and truck traffic traveling through the area and would help to reduce the potential for accidents on the roadway. The project would increase capacity along the corridor especially at intersections and access points to accommodate expected demands. The project would enhance safety by upgrading the existing roadway to the current design standards and would enhance regional connectivity to IH 45 and IH 69/US 59. The addition of an overpass at FM 1314 will improve safety and reduce congestion in the area. The proposed improvements by themselves will not increase traffic, rather it is anticipated that the improvements will help alleviate some of the congestion caused by the existing traffic volumes. This project would widen SH 242 from Needham to FM 1314 to a four-lane divided facility with appropriate turning bays at key intersections and median openings. The existing SH 242 extending from Needham to IH 69/US 59 consists of two 12-foot travel lanes with a 4-foot wide inside shoulder and 10-foot wide outside shoulder within a 200 to 240-foot variable right-of-way. The proposed project would use the existing two-lane roadway as the eastbound mainlanes and construct two 12-foot travel lanes with a 10-foot outside shoulder and 8-foot inside shoulder for the westbound mainlanes. Bridges would be constructed along the proposed westbound mainlanes at the West Fork San Jacinto River and Crystal Creek. The proposed bridges would consist of two 12-foot travel lanes with a 10-foot outside shoulder, an 8-foot inside shoulder, and guard rails. The proposed project would also include a 36-foot wide depressed grassy median. This project includes an overpass at the intersection of SH 242/FM 1314 and retaining walls would be installed at the intersection in order to accommodate the proposed overpass. All work would be completed within the existing ROW. Bicycle accommodations will be provided by this project. Signals at intersections would be upgraded to work with the proposed intersections. Since the portion of SH 242 from IH 45 to Needham was previously constructed as a four-lane divided facility, no construction work would be required within that section of SH 242. The proposed project constructs the twin roadway of the existing facility. Right-of-way was already purchased and cleared for this proposed improvement. The proposed project is constructing SH 242 as was it was ultimately proposed – a four-lane divided highway. This project is one project of two to improve two contiguous roadway segments: 3538-01-035-SH 242, from Needham to FM 1314 and 3538-01-036-SH 242, from FM 1314 to IH 69/US 59. It is in the best interest of these projects to let together, as the combined projects offer the most improvement in mobility and safety for the roadway and also facilitates efficiency of construction. Further, since the proposed improvements will be constructed on new location and the State owns all of the right-of-way already, minimal impacts to traffics will occur. The existing roadway was essentially phase one of the SH 242 project.

3538-01-035 - SH242_Corridor.pdf

Project Narrative

Yes

Scoping.docx

Environmental Assessment (EA) Please Select Yes USCACE permits at waterway crossings. While permits may be necessary, TxDOT does not anticipate permits delaying this project. 12/01/2016 No Yes The adjustment and relocation of any utilities would be handled so that no substantial interruptions would take place while these adjustments are being made. The appropriate entity or utility company would be responsible for the adjustments and relocations, according to standard TxDOT procedures. No

A public meeting was held as a part of the NEPA process on 8/26/2009.

Right of way acquisition is complete, no ROW is needed. The environmental document is at 30% complete. Construction of portions of this project could begin quickly after environmental clearance is complete.

3538-01-035 - SCHEMATIC - SH 242.pdf

Map/Location

3538-01-035 - GIS - SH 242.pdf

Project Budget

3538-01-035 - Budget - SH242.xlsx

No

No

Evalutation Questions - Major Investments

Benefit/Cost Methodology

Please attach the completed BCA Excel worksheet and narrative explanation of analyses used

3538-01-035 - BCT - SH 242 from Needham to FM 1314.pdf

Life-Cycle Benefit-Cost Analysis Methodology.docx

Narrative Benefits

The proposed roadway would provide a divided median with turning bays at intersections and crossovers. Separating the traffic onto a divided highway would reduce the occurrence of head-on collisions. The addition of turning queue lanes would remove turning movements from the through lanes and potentially reduce rear-end crashes.

SH 242 is on the Montgomery County Thoroughfare Plan as an existing major thoroughfare. SH 242 is an east-west arterial that connects two major interstates (IH 45 and IH 69/US 59) that serve north-south traffic in the Houston region. Additionally, it connects to other north-south arterials in the area, including FM 1314 and FM 1485. It is one of the few roads in the vicinity that makes these connections, actually crosses the San Jacinto River, and serves the existing commercial and residential development in the area, and is therefore important to the mobility of this portion of the region. It is an important component of the transportation system that allows local residents to utilize alternate routes to the nearby interstates, thereby removing local traffic from these facilities. The proposed project would relieve congestion along the corridor by adding capacity. Congestion at the intersection of SH 242/FM 1314 would be reduced through the addition of an overpass. During construction, congestion along SH 242 will remain approximately the same because the same number of traffic lanes will be open to traffic that are currently open today. ADT in the area has held steady over the past three years. SH 242 immediately west of FM 1314 had a 2013 ADT of 20,400, a 2012 ADT of 20,000, and a 2011 ADT of 21,000. Truck traffic comprises 7% of the traffic along SH 242 between Needham Drive and FM 1314.

The existing roadway would be converted into the eastbound portion of the divided highway and would remain mostly in place, taking advantage of existing roadway infrastructure. The addition of two westbound travel lanes to the north of the existing SH 242 will decrease wear and tear on the travel lanes that will serve east bound traffic. Improvements to ease congestion would allow the roadway to continue to service the region in spite of projected increases in demand.

Montgomery County is one of the fastest growing counties in Texas and the nation. The Woodlands development alone is a 28,000 acre community with a population of more than 107,000 and 5,000 acres set aside for commercial development. Spurred by The Woodlands, the south Montgomery County area has out-paced most of the region in terms of commercial and residential development. The Woodlands is a major work center with 1,900 employers and more than 54,000 employees within its Town Center (mini-business district). It is home to companies such as Anadarko Petroleum, Aon Hewitt, Baker Hughes, Chevron Phillips, Fox Network Groups, and many more. The recent development that Exxon is moving their corporate headquarters to the 385 acre area south of The Woodlands along SH 99 has triggered an influx of additional development which local governments may be unable to keep pace with in terms of supporting infrastructure. Furthermore, Houston’s strong economy has increasingly driven population growth and suburban development the surrounding five-county area, which includes Montgomery County. In order for the region to continue to remain economically competitive, the transportation system must function as a whole throughout the region. SH 242 provides a vital east-west link between IH 45 and IH 69/US 59 in southern Montgomery County, an area of the metropolitan region that is quickly developing. IH 45 serves as a major north-south corridor from the Gulf Coast through east Texas, while US 59 is a major truck conveyor on the North American Free Trade route through southern Montgomery County.

No additional ROW is required for this project, and as such, this project is not expected to have significant impact on the existing surrounding developments. Reducing congestion would improve adverse impacts on air quality in this nonattainment area. Bicycle accommodations will be provided by this project, which will tie into an existing signed shared roadway (FM 1314). The no-build scenario would have a negative impact on the community as crashes will increase with increasing traffic causing more congestion and a general deterioration in mobility.

3538-01-035 - BIKE - SH 242.pdf

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