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TOMBALL - A straight shot to the Beltway from Tomball is inching closer to reality, as the Harris County Commissioners Court approved contracts with several engineering firms.

The expansion of SH 249 into a six-lane toll way, was approved by the court earlier this year and will run from the Tomball bypass to where the current freeway ends just north of Spring-Cypress Road.

The commissioners are looking at breaking ground about a year from now.

“I’m very excited,” Harris County Pct. 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said. “This road is a road that a lot of people have had a desire to see completed for awhile now.”

The court approved more than $7 million in expenditures for design plans, environmental studies, utilities, lighting, landscaping, signs and planning.

The overall plan is to eventually extend the highway through a sliver of Montgomery County, where SH 249 merges into FM 1774. The court is now looking at when the best time to complete the second phase, along with Montgomery County. Montgomery County is also in the beginning stages of looking into its part of the expansion.

“Everyone understands that as you increase mobility in that area that it increases the benefits for both counties as a whole,” Cagle said.

Harris County has planned all along to extend the highway north to Tomball, as there is already a huge median between the north and southbound lanes.

Current plans call for the toll road portion to be EZ tag only and will be the standard fee for Harris County toll roads.

The project was pushed along by Cagle, after being approached by members of the new 249 Partnership. The group includes members in Tomball, Magnolia and Navasota and exists to promote growth along the 249 corridor. They are currently working with TxDOT to promote expanding 249 through Navasota. That expansion would create a highway running from Houston all the way to College Station.

“This is a very good first step to make Texas A&M more connected to Houston and Harris County,” Cagle said.

Expenditures approved by the court for the expansion included nearly $2.8 million to engineers Binkley & Barfield, $1.5 million to Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville, $1.3 million to I.S. Engineers, $1 million to Aguirre & Fields, as well as several others listed under a million dollars.

TxDOT recently announced that it has selected a design-builder for sections of the Grand Parkway that will run south of Tomball and into Montgomery County.

Zachry-Odebrecht Parkway Builders, J.V., was selected to develop, design, construct and maintain sections F-1, F-2 and G. The sections will complete about 38 miles of the toll road project, from US 290 to US 59 North. The project is expected to cost just more than $1 billion.

Construction will begin in 2013 and TxDOT is hopeful work can be completed in 2015. After the project is completed the developer will handle capital maintenance responsibilities for up to three consecutive five-year terms. TxDOT officials went on to explain that they still own the project and will continue to when the highway is complete.

TxDOT held two public hearings to discuss the financial aspects of the project Oct. 30. Those that attended heard how TxDOT planned to pay for the project.

Officials said that TxDOT will fund the project with toll revenue bonds issued by the Grand Parkway Transportation Corporation (GPTC). Officials with that group expect to issue just less than $3 billion in debt to finance design costs, construction and right-of-way acquisition. They anticipate to pay the debt within 40 years strictly with toll revenue.

Learn more about the project by visiting www.txdot.gave and use keyword Grand Parkway.