SPECIAL UPDATE: Harris County Advances Grand Parkway

Harris County Commissioners today authorized Art Storey, executive director of Harris County Public Infrastructure, to advertise for qualifications of consulting engineers to continue development of the Grand Parkway. This generally means that segments F1 and F2 from US 290 to I-45 will begin design work and join Segment E, whose design is completed, as segments of the Grand Parkway ready for financing and construction.

Attending the Commissioners Court meeting, Roger Hord publicly expressed the full support of the West Houston Association for continued development of segments F1 & F2 as the prudent next step for the County in addressing the current mobility needs of Harris County residents and preparing northwest Harris County for the continued population growth forecasted over the next 10 years.

Barton Smith, economist from the University of Houston, recently forecasted regional population will reach 7.4 million by 2020. Using this forecast and building on our Plan 2050 forecasting the West Houston Association has calculated Greater West Houston population will grow from 1.12 million in 2010 population to 1.63 in 2020 and increase of 45% for the current decade.

Greater West Houston is a 1,000 square mile area generally bounded by State Highway 249 and Montgomery County on the north, Brazos River on the west and north of US 90 on the south.