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Old Conroe Road Extension (FM 1488 to LP 336) City of Conroe 1/12/2015 6:55:58 PMProject Narrative
Traffic on IH-45 from FM 1486 to LP 336 is currently 185,000 vehicles per day with a v/c ratio of 0.82. With the rapidly growing of population and economy in Conroe, it is projected that the V/C ratio would reach 1.67 by 2040. There is a need to provide an alternative north-south connection and reduce the traffic congestion on I-45. This will become increasing important in regards to future adjacent local developments. Two in particular are a Del Webb development featuring approximately 1,500 homes and a D.R. Horton development with another approximately 1,500 homes. Old Conroe Road from FM 1486 to its current terminus at 1, 500 feet north of Lake Forest Drive is currently a 2-lane roadway that terminates approximately halfway between Conroe and The Woodlands. The proposed project would extend Old Conroe Road as a continuous roadway to LP 336. The proposed project would connect FM 1486 and LP 336 and serve as a relief for commuter traffic on I-45. In addition, land adjacent to Old Conroe Road are mostly undeveloped and are ready for future development. The proposed project would also provide access to this undeveloped project adjacent to the project corridor. The project would reduce traffic congestion on traffic on I- 45 by providing an alternative north-south connection, and provide access to land along the project corridor. This would enhance economic development and create an alternate access route between The Woodlands Township and the City of Conroe besides IH-45. The project would extend Old Conroe Road as a 4-lane roadway by expanding the existing section of roadway from FM 1488 to its current terminus to a 4-lane roadway, and build a new 4-lane divided roadway from its current terminus to LP 336. The project would also build a bridge over the West Fork of the San Jacinto River. Three alternatives have been considered and evaluated: • No Action. Under No Action, Old Conroe road would continue to terminate at 1500 north of Lake Forest Drive. This scenario will not help congestion, safety, or economic development. • Alternative A would extend Old Conroe road as a continued 2 –lane undivided roadway from its current terminus to LP 336. • Alternative B would extend Old Conroe road as a 4-lane roadway by expanding the existing section of roadway from FM 1488 to its current terminus to a 4-lane divided roadway, and build a new 4-lane divided roadway from its current terminus to LP 336. Alternative B meets the project objectives. Compared with Alternative A, Alternative B would increase the roadway capacity by 50% and reduce more traffic on I-45. Alternative B is preferred alternative. The implementation of Alternative A - extending the roadway without a widening to 4 lanes, would be an opportunity for staged construction of this project. A map of the phase 1 alignment has been included for consideration below.Project Narrative
No Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Please Select Yes West Fork San Jacinto River is a natural stream. Therefore, it is a water of the United States and is jurisdictional under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1972. Since the proposed project would build a bridge over West Fork San Jacinto River, a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1972 will be required before project construction. 01/12/2017 Yes 2 10/12/2015 Yes There are no utility lines close enough to the projected alignment to necessitate any utility adjustments or relocation. No This project is represented in the City of Conroe Major Thoroughfare plan (see attachment) which was adopted through ordinance no. 1795-07 on 6/28/2007. The ordinance and adoption process was a public process which encompassed the creation of the City of Conroe Comprehensive Plan as well. Each chapter of the plan is available here: http://www.cityofconroe.org/departments/public-works-home-page/planning/comprehensive-plan This project is supported by Montgomery County Commissioner Charlie Riley. This project has the potential to be phased in that rather than reconstructing the entirety of the roadway in a four-lane alignment, the two existing two-lane segments can be connected. In the future, additional right-of-way can be acquired to widen the roadway to a full, four-lane segment. This has been attached on the first page of the application.Map/Location
Evalutation Questions - Major Investments
Benefit/Cost Methodology
Please attach the completed BCA Excel worksheet and narrative explanation of analyses used