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Road Bond

Montgomery County

Road Bond

proposition

The issuance of $280,000,000 road bonds and the levying of the tax in payment thereof 

This measure would allow the county to issue an additional $280 million in bonds for road projects. The projects to be funded are largely a subset of the failed May 2015 proposal and are summarized in the following tables. 

Precinct 1 (North County)

May-15 Nov-15 Roadway Limits Length (mi) Scope Est. Cost ($mil)
x x FM 1097 IH 45 to Blueberry Hill 5 Local part-acq in prelim engr & constuct - State Proj 17
x x Walden Rd. Entrance to Emerson 3 Widen to include FTWLTL 5
x x Airport Perimeter Rd. Access to S. Property 1 New Construction 1
x x Willis Loop Rd FM 1097 to Old Montgomery 0.3 Participation in construction of FM 1097/IH 45 relief 1
x x Deison Parkway FM  1484 to Airport Rd. 1 County Participation in new contruction 1
x x Walden Rd. at Grand Harbor Blvd. 0.1 Intersection improvements for safety 0.5
x x Spring Branch Rd. Pct. Line to Old Plantersville 4 Reclaim, widen from 22' - 24' 5.5
x x Calvary Rd. SH 75 to end(Forest Rd. 234) 6 Reclaim, stabilize, in sections, replace drain struct 5
x x Shepard Hill Rd. Calvary to IH45 4 Reclaim, stabilize, in sections, replace drain struct 5
x x Lone Star Parkway SH 105 E of Mont. To SH 105W 4 Reclaim, stabilize, safety apps. 2.5
x x Rogers Rd Mt. Zion to City Limit 4 Reclaim, stabilize, widen 4
x x Bays Chapel Rd. FM 149 to William Hoke Rd. 5 Reclaim, stabilize, in sections  4
x x Willis-Waukegan Rd. Pct. Line to FM 1484 2.4 Reclaim, stabilize, in sections, from 20' - 24' 3
x x Mt. Mariah Rd. Old 105 to FM 1486 4 Reclaim, stabilize, safety apps. 3
x x Longstreet IH 45 to FM 1097 5 Reclaim, stabilize, in sections, widen 3
x x Bois D'arc Conroe City Limit to Lone Star Bend 1.2 Reclaim, stabilize, widen 1.5
x x Airport Entrance Deison Pkwy to FSS Rd. 0.5 New Location entrance and drainage 1
x x Cude Cemetery Rd. FM 830 to Lake Conroe 1.5 Reclaim, stablize, widen, drainage 1
x   Misc. S/D and local street repair To be determined N/A Reclaim, stabilize, in sections, replace drain struct 11.5

Precinct 1 will receive $64 million and has a nearly identical project list as for the May 2015 proposal, except for:

  • The removal of $11.5 million for "miscellaneous" projects
  • The reduction of estimated costs for the remaining projects of about $3.5 million

Precinct 2 (West County)

May-15 Nov-15 Roadway Length (mi) Scope Est. Cost ($mil)
x x Fish Creek Throughfare 4.88 Widen to 4 lanes; bridges 17.3
x x Magnolia Bypass 5.49 County share 10
  x Keenan Cutoff 3 Improvements for new school 10
x x Nichols Sawmill Extension 3.51 Extension 9.7
x x Research Forest 2.33 Widen to 4 lanes 8
x x FM1774 Overpass N/A Prelimenary work prior to building overpass 5
x x SH 242 @ Gosling Rd.   Add Turn Lanes 0.6
x x FM1488 @ Kuyendahl   Add Turn Lanes 0.6
x x SH 242 @ Greenbridge Drive   Add Turn Lanes 0.1
x x Old Hockley Rd   Rehab entire road 0.8
x x Coe Loop   Rehab Decker Prairie to Lonesome Pine 0.1
x x Decker Prairie Rosehill   Add turn lane at school 0.3
x x Hardin Store   Shoulders and turn lanes 0.2
x x Dobbin Huffsmith   Shoulders and turn lanes 0.2
x x Nichols Sawmill   Add shoulder 0.3
x x Pine Lake Road   Rehab entire road 0.2
x x Old 105   Rehab from FM105 to bridge 0.2
x x Spring Branch Road   Rehab from FM 149 to Church 0.2
x x Goodson Loop   Rehab from FM 249 to Terri lane 0.2
x   Old Hempstead   Rehab from city limit to Ruel Lane 3.9
x   Honea Egypt   Rehab between bridge at Lake Creek, fault line
x   Roberts Cemetery   Rehab from Harris County line to Long Horn Ranch
x   Mail Route Road   Rehab entire road
x   Rabon Chapel   Rehab from Pine Lake to Capitol Hill Road
x   Woodlands Parkway Extension 6.01   22

Precinct 2 will receive $64 million and has removed the controversial Woodlands Parkway Extension as well as roughly $3.9 million in other rehabilitation projects. It has also added improvements to Keenan Cutoff to accommodate new school construction.

Precinct 3 (South County)

May-15 Nov-15 Roadway Limits Scope Est. Cost ($mil)
x x Rayford Road   Widen to 6 lanes & Overpass @ RR 60
x x Gosling Bridge (TIP) Bridge over Spring Creek 3.8
x x Lake Woodlands Dr. Town Center Widen from E of Lake Front Cr to IH 45 (6 lanes) 2.6
  x SPUI I-45 Woodlands Pkwy/Robinson Rd Eng. Schematics (TIP) 3
x x Woodlands Parkway Grogan's Mill to I-45 WB and EB expansion 14.6
x   Robinson Rd:  I-45 to RR Realign and widen to 4 lanes Straighten the intersection on the east side of Robinson Rd. 8
x   Signal/Intersect Improvements/Overlays Thoughout Pct. 3 Coordinate traffic signals for better enhanced mobility 3.1
x   Wdlds Pkwy (Woodloch to Gro. Mill) Town Center Widen to 4 lanes to handle exiting traffic from I-45 2.2

Precinct 3 will receive $84 million and has removed the controversial Robinson Road widening project that would have required the use of imminent domain and restructed the widening of Woodlands Parkway near I-45 to be at-grade.

Precinct 4 (East County)

May-15 Nov-15 Roadway Limits Est. Cost ($mil)
x x SH 105 Loop 336 to Liberty County Line 10
x x Sorters Rd. FM 1314 to Kingwood Dr. 17.8
x x SH 242  Needham Rd to FM 1314 8.9
x x FM 1314 - SH 242 Bridge .3 mi. N of SH 242 4.7
x x Tamina David Memorial to Main St. 4.9
x x David Memorial Shenandoah Park Dr. to SH 242 2
x x Old Houston Rd. FM 242 to FM 3083 1.9
x x FM 1485 I-69 to 1000' west 0.3
x x Ford Rd. US 59 to Harris C/L 11.9
x x Gene Campbell Rd. FM 1314 - FM 1485 1.5
  x Community Drive I-69 to Loop 494 2
  x Other   1.5
x   Deerwood Subdivision 1.5
x   FM 1485 Kidd Cemetery Rd to SH 242 1.4
x   Bennette Estates Subdivision 1.2
x   Peach Creek Forest Subdivision 1.1
x   Willaby Rd. FM 1485 to Shire Dr. 1
x   River Oaks Needham Rd. to East End 1
x   Allendale Lake Cr. To West Allendal 0.5
x   Main Broadway to Chateau Woods 0.3
x   Porter Lane Drainage Proj. Porter Ln to Black Branch 0.25
x   Tamina Community Drianage Study 0.15
x   Crystal Forest Subdivision 0.1
x   Texaba Subdivision 2.2
x   Galaxy Blvd. FM 1485 to Roman Forest Blvd. 2
x   Trade Center Parkway SH 242 to Harper's Landing Blvd. 1.8

Precinct 4 will receive $68 million and has removed virtually all of its maintenance projects. 

The proposed ballot measure passed the Commissioners Court 5-0.

Major Issues

The May 2015 proposal failed largely due to the inclusion of the Woodlands Parkway extension. Other major concerns of opponents included:

  • The overall size of the bond due to the amount of existing county debt,
  • Spending roughly 22% of the bond on maintenance projects,
  • The lack of a county-wide transportation plan, and
  • Other projects that appeared to serve special interests.

The November proposal:

  • Removes the most controversial projects, 
  • Reduces the overall size from $350 million to $280 million,
  • Reduces maintenance spending slightly more so that it is now 20% of the proposal

In addition, while it is not yet finished, a new County Thoroughfare Plan is expected to be released this fall. While these are all changes for the better, some are still concerned that:

  • The proposal still relies on a considerable amount of new debt,
  • Uses 20% of this money on maintenance, which should be funded out of general revenues, and
  • Still fails to provide a thorough plan.