Texas State Highway 249
Route information | ||||
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Maintained by TxDOT, HCTRA, and MCTRA | ||||
Length | 39.443 mi[1] (63.477 km) | |||
Existed | 1988–present | |||
Component highways |
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Major junctions | ||||
South end | I-45 in Houston | |||
Beltway 8 / Sam Houston Tollway SH 99 Toll | ||||
North end | FM 1774 north of Todd Mission | |||
Location | ||||
Counties | Harris, Montgomery, Grimes | |||
Highway system | ||||
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State Highway 249 (SH 249), also known depending on its location as West Mount Houston Road, the Tomball Parkway, Tomball Tollway, MCTRA 249 Tollway, or the Aggie Expressway, is a 39.443-mile (63.477 km) generally north–south highway in Southeast Texas. The southern terminus is in North Houston at Interstate 45 (I-45). The current northern terminus of the highway is north of Todd Mission at the intersection of FM 1774.
Route description[]
This section needs expansion. You can help by . (February 2009) |
West Mount Houston Road section[]
The section of SH 249 along the east–west section between I-45 and West Montgomery is called West Mount Houston Road, a local arterial road. West Mount Houston Road, however, actually extends east past the intersection of SH 249 at I-45 to an intersection with Airline Drive.
Tomball Parkway section[]
The section of SH 249 between West Montgomery Road and Spring Cypress Road is called Tomball Parkway. South of its intersection with Hollister Road, Tomball Parkway is a local arterial road, whereas north of it, it becomes a non-tolled freeway.
Tomball Tollway section[]
Phase I[]
Phase one runs for 6 miles (9.7 km) from just north of Spring Cypress Road, the current terminus of the existing free lanes to just north of the existing Tomball bypass. The Tomball Tollway is three lanes in each direction that are used to bypass seven stoplights and will only accept electronic toll-tags (EZ Tag, TollTag and TxTag) as no cash payments will be allowed; the total cost of the toll for HCTRA's segment is $1.50 for two-axle vehicles, while the SH 249 frontage roads will remain free to all drivers.[2][3] Construction of phase one began in fall 2013 and was completed on April 12, 2015.[4]
Phase II[]
Phase two extends the tollway into Montgomery County from Business SH 249-B to Sentinel Oaks in Montgomery County north of Spring Creek. This $335 million project was overseen by the Harris and Montgomery County toll road authorities.[5] Construction on Phase 2 commenced in fall 2016 and was opened to traffic on December 19, 2019.[6]
MCTRA 249 Tollway section[]
From Spring Creek to FM 1774 in Pinehurst, the tolled mainlanes of SH 249 will be maintained by the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority.[7] Signed as MCTRA 249 Tollway, the first section to open was between Spring Creek and Sentinel Oaks (coinciding with Phase two of the HCTRA segment) on December 19, 2019. Construction on the next segment of MCTRA 249 Tollway from Sentinel Oaks to FM 1774 commenced in spring 2018.[6] The next section of MCTRA 249 Tollway opened from Sentinel Oaks to Woodtrace Boulevard on March 26, 2020. The remaining MCTRA segment connecting to the TxDOT maintained section north of Woodtrace Boulevard opened on August 8, 2020.[8][9] The total cost of the toll for MCTRA's segment is $1.25 for two-axle vehicles and, like HCTRA's Tomball Tollway, will only accept electronic toll-tags (EZ Tag, TollTag and TxTag).[10]
Aggie Expressway section[]
Segment 1A[]
From FM 1774 in Pinehurst to FM 1488 east of Magnolia, the toll road continues as SH 249 Toll, also known as the Aggie Expressway. The tolled mainlanes of Section 1A are maintained by TxDOT and were opened on August 8, 2020 with no tolls charged until December 2020. Unlike the HCTRA and MCTRA sections of the toll road, TxDOT allows a pay-by-mail option for all users in addition to EZ Tag, TollTag and TxTag.
Segment 1B[]
Another eight miles of the Aggie Expressway from FM 1488 up to FM 1774 north Todd Mission opened to traffic on March 26, 2021. The current cost to drive the entire TxDOT section is $2.28 for two-axle vehicles, which took effect on the day of the latest segment to open.[11][12][13][14]
Segment 2[]
The final segment of SH 249, Segment 2 of the Aggie Expressway, is currently under construction, which began in late 2018 and is slated to be completed in Spring 2023. It will stretch from FM 1774 near Todd Mission to SH 105 east of Navasota.
History[]
Originally a part of FM 149, the highway was given the designation of SH 249 in 1988.[1] The highway's importance grew after Compaq (later purchased by Hewlett-Packard) moved its headquarters close to the intersection of SH 249 and Louetta Rd.[15] In 2003, a portion of SH 249 in Tomball was renamed Business SH 249B from Hicks Road to Holderreith Road. This is because of bypass that bypasses Tomball on the west side of the city. In 2015, SH 249 was extended northwest 24.4 miles from FM 149 and FM 1774 to SH 105 near Stoneham. A section of SH 249 from Woodtrace Boulevard to FM 149 was renumbered as a southern extension of FM 1774 in December 2019.[16] On August 8, 2020, the section of SH 249 from FM 1774 to FM 1488 was opened. On March 26, 2021, the section of SH 249 from FM 1488 to FM 1774 was opened.
Previously, SH 249 was designated on June 22, 1937[17] from then-SH 73 (now Interstate 10) near San Felipe north to the Brazos River. The route was redesignated on May 9, 1940 as Texas Spur 99.[18] The route became part of Farm to Market Road 1458 on January 20, 1966.
Future[]
Current plans call for the highway to extend to the Bryan–College Station area. Continued growth in the Bryan/College Station, Conroe and NW Houston regions have congested existing roadways, including SH 105 and FM 1774. Texas A&M University and businesses in the Bryan/College Station area would benefit from faster connections to Bush-Intercontinental Airport, the Port of Houston and the Texas Medical Center. A bypass of Magnolia, Texas is desirable because of the large traffic load every October due to the annual Renaissance fair. Decreased funding for road projects in recent years had stalled the extension of SH 249. However the rapid growth in the area has led to a renewed push in 2012 to build further segments.
Plans for the middle segments (Pinehurst-Todd Mission) and north segment (Todd Mission-Navasota) were revived by the Texas Department of Transportation in early 2013. TxDOT has formed a working group with local officials and stakeholders to discuss alternatives for the SH 249 corridor.[19][20][21] The segment from Sentinel Oaks to FM 1774 in Pinehurst (maintained by MCTRA) opened in spring 2020.[9] From FM 1774 in Pinehurst, north up to SH 105 in Grimes County, SH 249 will be under the jurisdiction of TxDOT. The remaining portion of SH 249 in Montgomery County from FM 1488 to FM 1774 in Todd Mission was competed on March 26, 2021.[22][23] In Grimes County, the north segment will be constructed as a non-tolled two-lane freeway.[24] Construction in Grimes County began in late 2018 and is projected to be completed in Spring 2023.[25][26]
Popular culture[]
The country music group Eli Young Band references "Highway 249" in their 2008 single "Always the Love Songs." Several of the band members[which?] grew up in Tomball.[citation needed]
Major intersections[]
All exits are unnumbered.
County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Harris | Houston | I-45 (North Freeway) – Dallas, Downtown Houston | I-45 exit 57B | ||
Beltway 8 (Frontage Road) / Sam Houston Tollway | interchange; south end of freeway | ||||
FM 1960 / Gessner Road | Access to Methodist Hospital Willowbrook | ||||
Grant Road / Schroeder Road / Perry Road | |||||
Cypresswood Drive | |||||
Chasewood Park Drive / Compaq Center Drive / Cypresswood Drive / Perry Road | Access to CHI St. Luke's Health - The Vintage Hospital | ||||
Louetta Road / Jones Road | |||||
| Spring-Cypress Road | ||||
| SH 249 (Frontage Road) / Northpointe Boulevard, North Eldridge Parkway | Last free northbound exit before entering the Tomball Tollway[27] | |||
| Tomball Tollway begins | Southern terminus of the Tomball Tollway[27] | |||
| Toll gantry for both directions Electronic toll tags only, no cash allowed | ||||
| To SH 99 Toll (Grand Parkway) / Boudreaux Road | Access to Grand Parkway via frontage roads | |||
| SH 99 Toll (Grand Parkway) – Katy, Spring | Future direct ramps to east and westbound Grand Parkway (SH 99) from northbound Tomball Tollway.[28] | |||
Tomball | north (Tomball Parkway) / Holderrieth Road / Alice Road | Southern terminus of [29] | |||
FM 2920 / south (Tomball Parkway) – Tomball, Hooks Airport / Alice Road | Northern terminus of [29][failed verification] | ||||
Brown Road / Baker Road / Zion Road | Access to Lone Star College-Tomball campus | ||||
Harris–Montgomery county line | | MCTRA 249 Tollway begins | Northern terminus of HCTRA's Tomball Tollway; southern terminus of MCTRA 249 Tollway[27] | ||
Montgomery | | Decker Prairie Road / Hardin Store Road | [30] | ||
| Toll gantry for both directions Electronic toll tags only, cash and pay-by-mail not allowed | ||||
| FM 1774 – Magnolia - Woodtrace Boulevard | Southern terminus of FM 1774 (signed on northbound exit signage only);[30] last southbound exit for traffic paying by mail. | |||
| SH 249 Toll begins | Northern terminus of MCTRA 249 Tollway; southern terminus of SH 249 Toll (Aggie Expressway)[27] | |||
| FM 149 – Montgomery | [31] | |||
| Toll gantry for both directions Electronic toll tags or pay-by-mail (cash not accepted)[12][13] | ||||
| Audubon Boulevard | Road not connected yet[32] | |||
| FM 1488 – Hempstead, Magnolia, The Woodlands | ||||
| FM 1486 – Magnolia, Dobbin | ||||
| Toll gantry for both directions Electronic toll tags or pay-by-mail (cash not accepted) | ||||
Grimes | Todd Mission | FM 1774 – Magnolia, Todd Mission, Plantersville | Temporary northern terminus of SH 249;[31] northbound terminus of toll road and future start of two-lane freeway[31][33] | ||
| CR 304 | Future exit (Planned Grimes County extension)[33][24] | |||
| CR 306 | Future exit (Planned Grimes County extension)[33][24] | |||
| SH 105 | Future interchange (Planned Grimes County extension)[33] Future - Northern terminus of SH 249 (Planned)[33][24] | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 249". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 13, 2008.
- ^ Harris County Toll Road Authority. "Tomball Tollway". Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ "HCTRA Projects: SH 249 Phase 1".
- ^ "Houston Newsmakers".
- ^ "HCTRA Projects: SH 249 Phase 2".
- ^ Jump up to: a b Lotz, Anna (August 8, 2018). "Hwy. 249 extension to Spring Creek on track for 2019 opening, additional openings to extend road to Magnolia in 2020 and Navasota in 2022". Community Impact Newspaper.
- ^ HCTRA System Map www.hctra.org
- ^ New Hwy. 249 tolled lanes open in Pinehurst Community IMPACT Newspaper
- ^ Jump up to: a b McIntyre, Kara (January 30, 2020). "Opening of Hwy. 249 main lanes in Pinehurst delayed". Community IMPACT Newspaper. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ [1] Montgomery County Toll Road Authority (MCTRA) SH 249 Retrieved May 8, 2020
- ^ First stretch of ‘Aggie Expressway’ toll road opens Saturday Houston Chronicle. August 8, 2020 (same-day retrieval)
- ^ Jump up to: a b SH-249 Expansion: A faster route to get to Aggieland is on the way Click2Houston.com (KPRC-TV). September 15, 2020 (Retrieved September 17, 2020)
- ^ Jump up to: a b Drivers to pay tolls on Hwy. 249 beginning Dec. 1 Community IMPACT Newspaper. November 19, 2020 (Retrieved November 21, 2020)
- ^ New segment of 'Aggie Expressway' toll road opens along Texas 249 Houston Chronicle, March 29, 2021 (Retrieved March 30, 2021)
- ^ Slotboom, Erik (2003). Houston Freeways. OF Slotboom. ISBN 0-9741605-3-9.
- ^ Dominguez, Catherine (December 12, 2019). "Montgomery County commissioners approve Texas 249 rename to FM 1774 near Pinehurst". The Courier of Montgomery County.
- ^ "Minutes of the June 21, 1937 State Highway Commission meeting" (PDF). TxDOT.
- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway Spur No. 99". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 13, 2008.
- ^ "MCTRA Projects: SH 249". TxDOT. January 20, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ Winkler, Liza (December 11, 2015). "TxDOT holds public meeting on updated Hwy. 249 extension plan". communityimpact.com. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ "TxDOT Projects: SH 249". TxDOT. April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ McIntyre, Kara (January 7, 2020). "TOP STORY OF 2020: Hwy. 249 main lanes to open in Magnolia by summer". Community Impact Newspaper.
- ^ New Hwy. 249 segment from FM 1488 to FM 1774 in Todd Mission now open Community IMPACT Newspaper', March 30, 2021 (Same-day retrival)'
- ^ Falls, Clay (September 19, 2018). "Work on new Highway 249 extension to start in Grimes County this fall". KBTX-TV.
- ^ Falls, Clay (April 12, 2019). "Grimes Co. leaders pleased with changes coming to Hwy. 249 extension". KBTX-TV.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Interactive Map of Houston Toll Roads". Harris County Toll Road Authority.
- ^ [communityimpact.com Direct connectors set for early 2020 construction] Community IMPACT Newspaper. January 4, 2020 (Retrieved August 22, 2020)
- ^ Jump up to: a b Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Business State Highway No. 249-B". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "249 Toll Extension Schematic - From Harris county into Montgomery county" (PDF). TxDot.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Aggie Highway Schematic (249 Toll - From Montgomery/Harris County line to the Montgomery/Grimes County line)" (PDF). TxDot.
- ^ State Of the City - City of Magnolia Update - Winter 2020 (Page #51 of #54) Retrieved August 22, 2020
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "SH 249 - Todd Mission to Navasota with Schematics (249 Toll - From Montgomery/Grimes County line to SH 105)". TxDot.
External links[]
Route map:
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- State highways in Texas
- Toll roads in Texas
- Transportation in Grimes County, Texas
- Transportation in Harris County, Texas
- Roads in Houston
- Transportation in Montgomery County, Texas