SH 249 Project - Transportation Solutions

Future Transportation Needs

International and national trade through the Port of Houston continues to grow. The successful growth of the Brazos Valley region and the greater Houston area places increasing strains on the existing infrastructure linking them.

Grimes County, located between these two areas, is experiencing rapid population growth and subsequent traffic demands.

  • Population is projected to grow by nearly 8 percent annually between 2000 and 2040.
  • Southern areas of the county will experience the majority of this growth.
  • Growth rates are comparable for neighboring Montgomery County at 10-14 percent.
  • Harris and Brazos counties, bordering Grimes County, anticipate 4-8 percent annual population growth

No adequate roadways exist through this area to serve this population and subsequent traffic. SH 105 is a two-lane roadway currently carrying 8,500 vehicles per day. In the next 20 years, this number is expected to increase to 15,000.

For a two-lane, rural, undivided roadway, this  results in undesirable congestion. Volumes and congestion along FM 1774, another existing two-lane roadway, are similar. At these levels of congestion, safety is compromised and crashes become more frequent.

Regional Transportation Solutions

To address rising traffic levels, reduce the potential for crashes and improve overall safety, we are developing the SH 249 project. The roadway would provide the additional capacity needed to meet the future demand for regional and local traffic, while the existing SH 105 and FM 1774 roadways would continue to provide local access.

Distributing local and regional traffic, along with truck and automobile traffic, between the local and regional facilities of SH 249, SH 105 and FM 1774, would significantly improve traffic safety. FM 1774 and SH 105 are two-lane highways with few passing opportunities and numerous driveways and intersections. SH 249 would be constructed as a freeway-type facility without intersecting driveways and intersections, using access ramps to enter or exit the roadway to better handle higher speed traffic safely.

The SH 249 project, as proposed, would enhance safety throughout the corridor, reduce traffic congestion and help preserve the rural environment of Grimes County.