MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas -- The latest section of the Grand Parkway, which will connect I-45 and Highway 59, is now open.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) opened the new 13.7-mile stretch of road around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, just before rush hour traffic. The road will be toll-free for the first week.
We are open!!! 😊 SH 99 #GrandParkway from IH 45 to US 59 is free until April 4. #Enjoy
— TxDOT- HOU District (@TxDOTHoustonPIO) March 29, 2016
It's going to make it a lot easier to travel from places like The Woodlands to Kingwood. The new segment means drivers can pick up Highway 99 in the Spring area and take it all the way east to Highway 59 in New Caney.
"This has saved hours of your day each way, even just going to Tomball," said Ashley Arcangeli, who just moved to the area from Buffalo, N.Y. "This is just really helpful. We run a business in Tomball, and we did a lot of commuting to Katy, so to open up from 2920 to Katy has been a huge savior of time for our business."
That's the goal for TxDOT: to save time and ease congestion for commuters in north Harris and southern Montgomery counties.
"It's another option for motorists to get from Point A to Point B without having to go in town," said Deidra George, public information officer for TxDOT. "You now have this continuous four-lane toll road that will now allow you to get there faster."
Dave Connery says the new segment of the Grand Parkway from Cypress to the Spring area has already helped his fencing business.
"It cuts my drive time in half. I'm in sales; I drive all day every day," Connery said. "When this section opened up, it takes me 30 minutes to get to Katy versus an hour."
With the new section, Connery couldn't be more pleased.
"The Humble-Kingwood area, it's 15 minutes versus 45 to go all the way around, and a few dollars with tolls is well worth it," Connery said.
TxDOT says this is a $1 billion project and one of the largest it has undertaken.