Fort Bend County Hopes New Project Will Ease Traffic Congestion

You can now take the Grand Parkway between U.S. 59 Southwest Freeway and U.S. 59 Eastex Freeway. But there are several segments that still haven't been built, like the part between U.S. 59 and State Highway 288.

Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison says it's not really what they need right now.

"What that portion of the county needs is local roads to be able to relieve the tremendous congestion we have there on Crabb River Road," says Morrison.

Crabb River Road hooks up with U.S. 59 and it also serves George Ranch High School. Morrison says the traffic volume has nearly tripled over the past two decades.

"At that intersection there is just a huge pile-up during rush hour," adds Morrison. "In the morning and the evening."

So to get local traffic flowing, Fort Bend County has moved ahead on what will eventually be the Grand Parkway frontage roads. They run from U.S. 59 to Sansbury, a distance of just under a mile.

A new three-lane road opened this week to serve southbound commuters. Existing Crabb River Road is also being converted to a northbound frontage road.

"Once we get the other side completed and that road completely opened up, I think it's going to cause traffic to loosen up all up and down Crabb River Road," says Morrison.

The frontage road project costs about $8 million and it was paid for with local money. There are also plans to widen the road further south, and that project would use federal funds.