Sam Houston Tollway Coming Full Circle - Kingwood

The Harris County Toll Road Authority's (HCTRA's) flagship roadway, the Sam Houston Tollway, is coming full circle beginning this week, with construction of its final segment. The much anticipated 13-mile stretch in the northeast quadrant of the system will connect US 59 North and US 90 East - completing the 75-mile loop of the Sam Houston Tollway to better meet the needs of the vast population growth in northeast Harris County. Once complete, this segment of the tollway will provide three lanes in each direction.

The project will improve access from the Ship Channel Bridge to US 59 North and IH 45 North, and may provide some congestion relief on those heavily traveled thoroughfares.  Multiple access points to major cross streets will further enhance mobility in the region. Landscaping and beautification elements along the tollway will be implemented once construction of the roadway is complete and will follow the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Houston District aesthetic guidelines for the corridor.

Construction of the Sam Houston Tollway Northeast segment will occur simultaneously throughout the corridor during an anticipated twenty-one month schedule. The project is expected to be completed in Spring 2011 and will cost approximately $400 million.  For more information about the project, please visit www.hctra.org.

About the Harris County Toll Road Authority: HCTRA was created in 1983 after an overwhelming majority of Harris County voters authorized the issuance of up to $900 million in bonds to build and operate the region's first toll roads. Today, the Toll Road Authority operates and maintains a 107-mile system in the Houston/Harris County area and 12-miles in Fort Bend County, for a total of 119-miles. The Toll Road system connects motorists from Pasadena to downtown Houston, from Spring-Cypress to Fort Bend, from the Grand Parkway to the Galleria, and nearly all points in between. Each weekday, nearly half a million vehicles use HCTRA toll roads to get to their destinations quickly and safely, while easing congestion on the region's free thoroughfares. Tolls collected on HCTRA roadways allow the system to be completely self-supporting. Harris County's careful financial management of the toll road system has consistently earned superior bond ratings, increased cash reserves, and established responsible planning for the maintenance and upkeep of existing roadways as well as future expansion needs.