County to ease traffic near mall

By MARY ANN AZEVEDO
CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT
The congestion on FM 1960 is nothing new for residents of northwest Houston.
In an attempt to alleviate some of the congestion on FM 1960 near Willowbrook Mall, Harris County officials have proposed to extend West Greens Road between Cutten Road and Texas 249.
The county's intent with the extension is to provide alternate access, alleviate congestion and minimize delays on FM 1960 at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe at-grade railroad tracks, according to Pamela Rocchi, project coordinator for Harris County Precinct 4's capital improvements projects division.
We need an east-west connection to relieve that congestion," Rocchi said. There is definitely a strong need."
The $9.5 million project will include a four-lane concrete boulevard section with a storm sewer system, drainage mitigation and traffic signalization on Cutten Road at the future West Greens Road intersection.
The proposed four-lane, 3,500-foot roadway would traverse undeveloped property east of SH 249 and would be built within new right of way, which would vary from 100 to 300 feet wide.
Harris County is working with the Texas Department of Transportation and is responsible for the preliminary and engineering design phase services, regulatory permitting, environmental mitigation and clearances, right-of-way acquisition, utility adjustments and 20 percent of the construction costs. TxDOT is responsible for 80 percent of the construction costs, project bidding and managing the project during construction.
Part of the project falls within Houston city limits, so the city will fund a portion of the construction accordingly.
Final design efforts should begin in the first quarter of 2010 and take about six to nine months to complete, said Rocchi. Then, the project will be turned over to TxDOT for bidding.