Tom Warne Report, 5 August 2013
The design-build contractor for a new 38-mile segment of State Highway 99/Grand Parkway in the Houston area has broken ground on the project. The new segment will allow drivers to travel State Highway 99 between U.S. Highway 290 to U.S. 59 North. The design-build team on the project is Zachry-Odebrecht Parkway Builders, a joint venture of Zachry Construction and Brazilian-based Odebrecht Construction.
“The latest phase of construction represents continuation of the forward thinking and planning that will expedite mobility and provide infrastructure this area will need as Texas welcomes more drivers and business traffic,” said TxDOT Executive Director Phil Wilson. “We are proud of the partnerships that share our vision of addressing congestion and helping motorists move freely and safely on Texas highways.”
Transportation leaders in Texas also recently sold $2.92 billion in bonds to make funds available to finance the project and to reimburse the Harris County Toll Road Authority.
State Highway 99/Grand Parkway was first proposed in the early 1960s and is planned to bring development farther west once it is complete, officials said.