Texas State Highway 99

SH 99 Toll
SH 99 Toll
Grand Parkway
Route information
Length	71.9 mi (115.7 km)
Existed	1994–present
Segment 1
Length	57.4 mi (92.4 km)
CCW end	I-69 / US 59 in Sugar Land
CW end	I-45 in Spring
Segment 2
Length	14.5 mi (23.3 km)
CCW end	I-10 in Mont Belvieu
CW end	; Bus. SH 146 in Baytown
Location
Country	United States
State	Texas
Highway system
	Highways in Texas; Interstate; US; State; Toll; Loops; Spurs; FM/RM; Park; Rec;

State Highway 99, also known as the Grand Parkway, is a Texas highway which opened its first section in 1994. When State Highway 99 is complete, it will be the longest beltway in the U.S., and the third (outer) loop within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area, with Interstate 610 being the first (inner) loop, and Beltway 8 (Sam Houston Tollway) being the second (middle) loop. The proposed 170-mile (270 km) loop has been divided into 11 separate segments for construction and funding purposes.^[1] Only 5 of the 11 segments are complete. As of December 25, 2011, all segments except A have been fully funded.

Previous routes

In 1926, SH 99 was a minimal highway from Fort Stockton to San Angelo. By 1933, SH 99 had extended to Alpine. By 1935, this route was transferred to SH 10. In 1960, a new route was made for SH 99, going from Denton to the Oklahoma line, replacing the old routing of SH 10. SH 10 then was changed to SH 99 to match OK 99 at its border. In 1968, this route became US 377.

Segments

Overview


Segment	Status	(Planned) completion	From	To	Length (miles)	(Future) Toll Road
A	Design alternates	Unknown	SH 146	I-45 south	tbd	tbd
B	Recommended alternate Construction is planned to start in 2019^[2]	2023^[2]	I-45 south	SH 288 south	28.2	(yes)
C	Recommended alternate Construction is planned to start in 2016^[2]	2019^[2]	SH 288 south	I-69 / US 59 south	26.9	(yes)
D	Completed; toll collected.	1994	I-69 / US 59 south	I-10 / US 90 west	18.2	(partial)
E	Completed; toll collected.	2013	I-10 / US 90 west	US 290 / SH 6	15.2	yes
F-1	Completed; toll collected.	2016	US 290 / SH 6	SH 249 / Tomball Tollway	11.9	(yes)
F-2	Completed; toll collected.	2016	SH 249 / Tomball Tollway	I-45 north	12.1	(yes)
G	Construction began June 2013.	2016.^[2]	I-45 north	I-69 / US 59 north	13.6	(yes)
H & I-1	Recommended alternate Construction is planned to start in 2016^[2]^[3]	2019^[2]	I-69 / US 59 north	I-10 east	37.3	(yes)
I-2	Completed; toll collected	2008	I-10 east	SH 146	14.5	yes

Segment A

Segment A is a planned segment that will go from SH 146 to I-45 South. The completion date is unknown, but it is rumored to be completed after all the other segments.

Segment B

Segment B Construction is planned to begin in 2019 and finish in late 2023. This segment extends from I-45 South to SH 288 South.

Segment C

Segment C Construction is planned to begin in 2016 and finish in late 2019. This segment extends from SH 288 South to I-69 / US 59 South.

Segment D

Segment D, the first section opened, runs from just north of Interstate 10, west of Houston, south to Interstate 69/US 59 in Sugar Land where it terminates and intersects with FM 2759. The portion of this segment south of the interchange with the Westpark Tollway is currently a four-lane divided highway, which will become feeder roads once the main lanes are constructed. The section north of the Westpark Tollway intersection is currently a four-lane controlled-access freeway.

The 18-month-long construction of two ramps connecting westbound I-10 to southbound SH-99 and northbound SH-99 to eastbound I-10 was completed in 2011. The occasional traffic jams at this intersection prompted the sped-up construction of the ramps before the through lanes of SH-99 were built through the I-10 interchange. Two more ramps connecting southbound SH-99 to eastbound I-10 and westbound I-10 to northbound SH-99 opened as part of the construction of Segment E in December 2013. A final ramp connecting northbound SH-99 to westbound I-10 has been completed in June 2014 but has not officially opened up for traffic; as of July 2014, the ramp is still closed to the general public since the road signage has not been installed.

Between the Westpark Tollway and I-69/US 59, Fort Bend County has constructed toll overpasses at nine locations along Highway 99. Motorists are charged around 35¢ to use each overpass, or can bypass the toll by using the current roadway through the signalized intersections.^[4] Overpasses between I-69/US 59 and US 90-Alt. opened on February 27, 2014, Airport Boulevard and Harlem Road on March 18, 2014, and Mason Road and Bellfort Street on March 30, 2014. The rest of the tolled overpasses to I-10 opened in late April 2014.^[5]

Segment E

September 2011 construction began on Segment E connecting I-10 Katy Freeway in the south to US 290 and opened in December 2013. On June 3, 2008 the Harris County Commissioners Court voted to fast track the construction of Segment E with construction to begin in 2009 and then came the addition of $150 million in Stimulus money yet still the project stalled. As with many Stimulus projects it turned out not to be "shovel ready" enough and the $150 million was sent back to TXDOT for use elsewhere.^[6] In 2011 the Wetlands permit from the Army Corp of Engineers was acquired. In addition, Harris County relinquishing its rights to TXDOT who will construct a Public Private Cooperative toll road. At its April 28, 2011 meeting TXDOT allocated $350 million and the construction permits were let in July 2011.^[6] On July 28, 2011 TXDOT reported that three out of four contracts for Segment E were awarded and that construction would start by early September 2011.^[7]

The multi year reconstruction of I-10 was completed in 2008 while US 290 reconstruction was not due to even start until 2011. "^[8] The 22-mile (35 km) long section of I-10 from the suburb town of Katy to just inside the I-610 loop has expanded it to handle the rapidly expanding western suburbs of Houston not just adding lanes, but also an expanded HOV with two lanes in both directions where there was one lane reversed back and forth with rush hour and a toll lane for commuters willing to pay congestion prices for the quicker ride. The idea put forth is that Segment E is toll-viable from the start meaning it would pay for itself with tolls collected because of the need to relieve traffic on US 290 along with the continued expansion of the western suburbs. After US 290 construction is completed and less traffic is diverting down the E Segment of the Grand Parkway; the reasoning is that the inevitable population explosion going on in the area would not just replace the lost traffic from the US 290 completion, but increase its use.

Segment F-1

Segment F-1 connects US 290 to Texas State Highway 249. Construction began June 2013 and was completed and opened to traffic on February 5, 2016.^[9]^[10]

Segment F-2

Segment F-2 connects Texas State Highway 249 with I-45. Construction began on Segment F-2 in June 2013. A one-mile section of frontage road lanes between I-45 and Holzwarth Road (near the ExxonMobil Campus in Spring) was completed and opened to traffic in April 2015. The remainder of Segment F-2 opened on February 5, 2016^[11]^[10]

Segment G

Segment G connects I-45 with I-69/US 59 North. Construction began June 2013 with a scheduled completion date in April 2016.^[6]^[9]

Segment H and I-1

Texas Transportation Commission members met in Pasadena on 26 June 2015, and one item on their agenda is soliciting interested builders to develop, build and maintain the next 37.4 mile Grand Parkway segment from Interstate 69/US 59 north of Houston to Interstate 10 east of the city. The project, expected to begin construction in 2016, is expected to cost $1.2 billion.^[3]

Segment I-2

Segment I-2, which opened on March 25, 2008 after five years of construction, runs from Interstate 10 east of Houston south to Business State Highway 146 in Baytown. (The former Spur 55, which ran from FM 1405 to Business 146, was renumbered SH 99 and connects with the newly constructed portion of Segment I-2 at FM 1405.)

TxDOT began collecting tolls on this segment on November 1, 2011. Motorists are able to pay tolls using TxTag, EZ TAG or TollTag transponders. No cash or mail payments are available on this segment. Tag reader gantries have been installed on the mainline just south of FM 565, and on the northbound entrance and southbound exit ramps at FM 565. Tolls will be $1 for two-axle vehicles.^[12]

Future construction

The next section to be opened is Section G; scheduled to open in April 2016.
The next sections to be constructed are Section C along with Sections H and I-1, which will include improvements/upgrades to Section I-2. These sections are scheduled to begin construction in 2016.

Future sections of the Grand Parkway will most likely be built as tollways.

Opposition and support

Current residents who live along the Grand Parkway in Harris and Fort Bend counties (namely in the Cinco Ranch/Falcon Point areas within segment D) have noticed increased noise due to expansion of the highway, which includes construction of new overpasses as well as increased growth in the surrounding area. Sound barriers have not been constructed based on a 20+ year environmental study. Resident petitions and protests for a new sound barrier study have not been addressed and Texas DOT claims "This section of the Grand Parkway does not qualify for that."^[13] Further expansion in this area is planned to start in 2010 with two tollway lanes added in each direction.^[14]

Some groups in some neighborhoods are opposing the idea of the Grand Parkway going through their neighborhoods. For instance, a group called "United to Save Our Spring" is trying to stop the Parkway from going through a neighborhood off FM 2920. Residents in other unincorporated areas such as The Woodlands have not shown the same opposition and support the construction of the Grand Parkway, namely segments E, F-1, F-2, and G^[1], as this would give residents living in the outer suburbs a toll road option to drive to San Antonio, Austin, northeast Texas, or Louisiana without having to drive through the city of Houston.

Some residents in Brazoria County, along segment B, have voiced opposition to several of the proposed alignments. However, TxDOT has recently proposed a fifth alternative alignment to the north of Alvin. This alternative is acceptable to the opposition group Citizens Against the Grand Parkway and is likely to encounter much less opposition from the community.^[15]

The controversial segment A, which would stretch from Texas State Highway 146 to Interstate 45 southeast of Houston through a very developed area, has not been fully designed yet. Texas Highway 146 is a possible route of the highway during segment A, but TXDOT has released plans for the highway to intersect I-45 from the west at its intersection with FM-646. This intersection has many businesses around it and could not support a major highway running through it without tearing down existing businesses, as seen on aerial photos available on Google Maps.^[16] If the highway continued south on Highway 146 to its intersection with FM 646 (Supposing the highway was built along the route of FM-646), it would eventually have to pass through the town of Kemah, which could not support a large highway unless many businesses were destroyed as seen on Google Maps^[16] A merger with I-45 along the route is much more likely and would cause less public outrage.^{[citation needed]}

Exit list

All exits are unnumbered.

County	Location	Destinations	Notes
Fort Bend	Sugar Land	I-69 / US 59
		Riverpark Drive	interchange; south end of freeway
		New Territory Boulevard
		US 90 Alt. / FM 1464
		Airport Boulevard / Harlem Road
	Houston	Mason Road / Bellfort Street
		Peek Road	proposed interchange (currently only a turnaround)
		Bellaire Boulevard
		FM 1093 / Fort Bend Westpark Tollway east
		Fry Road
		Westheimer Parkway
		Cinco Ranch Boulevard
		Bay Hill Boulevard / Highland Knolls Drive
Harris		Kingsland Boulevard
		SH 99 north (Frontage Road)	northbound (clockwise) exit and southbound (counterclockwise) entrance, access to Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital
		I-10 (US 90) – San Antonio, Houston	I-10 exit 743B
		Franz Road / Colonial Parkway / I-10 Frontage Road
		Morton Ranch Road
	Houston	Clay Road
		FM 529
		West Road	Road not connected yet; no northbound exit
		Tuckerton Road	Road not connected yet.
		Bridgeland Creek Parkway
		North Bridgeland Lake Parkway
		Louetta Road
		US 290 (SH 6) – Austin, Houston
		Cumberland Ridge Drive
		Mueschke Road
		Cypress Rose Hill Road
		Telge Road
	Houston	SH 249 / Tomball Tollway	Access to Tomball Tollway via Frontage Road.
		Gleannloch Forest Drive / Champion Forest Drive
		FM 2920
		Boudreaux Road / Kuykendahl Road / Spring Stuebner Road	Boudreaux Road for eastbound traffic and Spring Stuebner Road for westbound traffic
		Gosling Road
		Springwoods Village Parkway / Holzwarth Road	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; Springwoods Village Parkway does not connect yet
		I-45 south – Houston	Access to I-45 Southbound via Frontage Road.
		I-45 north – Dallas	Direct Ramp to I-45 Northbound
		Hardy Toll Road south	Under construction; Northbound users need to use the Interstate 45 north exit.
Montgomery		Springs Trails Ridge (Riley Fuzzel Road)	Under construction
		Rayford Road	Under construction
		Birnham Woods Drive	Under construction
		Townsen Road	Under construction
		FM 1314	Under construction
		Valley Ranch Boulevard	Under construction
		I-69 south / US 59 south / Loop 494 – Houston	Under construction; Temporary access to Loop 494 via Community Drive.
		I-69 north / US 59 north – Cleveland	Under construction
Gap in route
Chambers		I-10 – Beaumont, Houston	I-10 exit 799.
		Old Needlepoint Road
		Kilgore Parkway
		FM 565 / FM 2354 – Cove, Beach City
		Turnaround
		Fisher Road	south (clockwise) end of freeway
		Turnaround	interchange
		FM 1405 to SH 146 – Beach City	At-grade intersection
	Baytown	West Bay Road	At-grade intersection
		Koppel Road	At-grade intersection
		Turnaround	interchange; southbound (clockwise) exit and northbound (counterclockwise) entrance
Harris	Baytown	Tri Cities Beach Road	At-grade intersection
Harris	Baytown	Bus. SH 146	At-grade intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Incomplete access Unopened