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40-669: The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) and the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority (FBCTRA) operate the Westpark Tollway jointly. The 14-mile (23 km) HCTRA section is simply named Westpark Tollway; however, the 8-mile (12 km) section of the toll road operated by the FBCTRA is named Fort Bend Westpark Tollway. There are three major interchanges in between: the Southwest Freeway ( I-69 )/( US 59 ),

80-611: A $ 900 million bond referendum by a 7–3 margin to release up to $ 900 million in bonds to create two toll roads – the Hardy Toll Road and the Sam Houston Tollway – to improve the regional mobility and reduce traffic congestion in the Greater Houston area, an area known for rapid population growth. The need for a county-run toll road system came from TxDOT's budget shortfall and its inability to authorize funding to upgrade

120-578: A 4-mile (6.4 km) spur to George Bush Intercontinental Airport . The Westpark Tollway is a 22-mile (35.4 km) toll road starting in Uptown Houston and traveling westward parallel to sections of Westpark Drive and FM 1093 and terminating just past FM 723 in Fulshear, Texas . It is the first all-electronic toll road in the United States . The Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority (FBCTRA) operates

160-718: A combination of Westpark and Richmond has been chosen as the University Line (METRORail) , but the city has not allocated money for the project. Harris County Toll Road Authority The Harris County Toll Road Authority ( HCTRA , pronounced "HECK-trah") maintains and operates a 103-mile (165.8 km) toll road system in the Greater Houston area of Texas, United States. Its headquarters are located in Houston 's Fairbanks/Northwest Crossing neighborhood. HCTRA came into being in September 1983 after Harris County voters approved

200-400: A toll-free frontage road for the tollway. The Fort Bend Westpark Tollway will add an additional four lanes to this effort—resulting in an eight-lane road. TxDOT is funding construction of the tollway interchanges at State Highway 99 and FM 1464. Additionally, a 2012 expansion plan shows a Westpark Tollway addition to the city of Fulshear, Texas . The expansion promises a connection with

240-519: A toll. The four lane roadway, running between I-610/West Loop and SH 6 , has been completed. The lanes opened during the second quarter of 2009. The Tomball Tollway consists of a 7.5-mile (12.1 km) segment of three toll lanes in each direction from Spring Cypress Road up to Sentinel Oaks in Pinehurst . Texas State Highway 249 serves as toll-free frontage roads for the Tomball Tollway. Tolling on

280-626: A unanimous vote by the Montgomery County Commissioners Court on May 28, 2019, the tolls were lifted, and ownership and maintenance of both flyover ramps were transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). As a result, HCTRA stopped collecting tolls on the flyover ramps. To help alleviate congestion on SH 288, HCTRA had planned to construct toll lanes in the median of the existing freeway. The route would begin at I-69/US 59 just south of Midtown and terminate at

320-558: Is a controlled-access toll road in the Greater Houston area of the U.S. state of Texas , maintained by the Harris County Toll Road Authority . The route runs from Interstate 610 near central Houston to Interstate 45 just south of the Harris – Montgomery county line. The road generally parallels Interstate 45. The portion from I-610 to Crosstimbers Road was designated on September 26, 1984 as Spur 548 , although this

360-400: Is a complete tolled beltway loop around Houston (minus a few minor sections that are freeways managed by TXDOT). The Hardy Toll Road was constructed to help alleviate traffic off of I-45 North. The route begins at I-610 North between I-45 North and I-69/US 59 North and travels northward parallel to I-45 for 21.6 miles (34.8 km) after which it merges onto I-45. The toll road also features

400-578: Is only one direct connector ramp from Beltway 8 East to Hardy Toll Road North. Expected construction start date is unknown. This project (which began in early 2020) will add a total of four direct connectors: two from northbound Tomball Tollway to east and westbound SH 99 (Grand Parkway) , with the other two connecting to southbound Tomball Tollway from east and westbound SH 99. Ramps from SH 99 to southbound Tomball Tollway opened in July 2022; Tomball Tollway ramps to SH 99 remain under construction. Added capacity

440-623: Is planned for the following existing tollway segments: The project will connect I-610 via the South Post Oak exit (which terminates south of West Bellfort) to the northern terminus of the Fort Bend Parkway at US 90 Alternate with just over 3 miles (4.8 km) of tolled lanes. In October 2019, HCTRA began to examine plans for the segment utilizing the original 2003 schematics. Project is no longer being built, as of March 30, 2010. The planned project would have added four tolled lanes along

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480-527: Is the first fully electronic toll road in the United States. There are no tollbooths or toll collectors along either section of the route. The only way to legally drive on the road is by using a transponder unit attached to a vehicle's windshield (either HCTRA's EZ TAG , NTTA 's TollTag , TxTAG , PikePass from Oklahoma Turnpike Authority , or K-Tag from Kansas Turnpike Authority ). These transponders communicate with overhead sensors to deduct tolls from

520-586: Is unsigned. Construction on the toll road started in September 1984 and the entire road was complete by June 1988. The toll road runs 21.6 miles (34.8 km) and costs $ 3 to drive its full length ($ 1.50 north of Beltway 8 and $ 1.50 south of Beltway 8). A four-mile (6 km) connecting road to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport requires a $ 1.20 toll. As of July 18, 2016, the Hardy Toll Road discontinued cash tolling and made

560-645: The Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority . HCTRA also operates managed lanes that run along the median of I-10/Katy Freeway between SH 6 and I-610 that opened in April 2009. The most recent project of HCTRA is the Tomball Tollway , which was completed in phases between 2015 and 2019. On March 1, 2020, operations of the Lynchburg Ferry and the Washburn Tunnel were transferred from Harris County Precinct 2 to

600-610: The North Texas Tollway Authority 's TollTag since 2003. Around the 3rd quarter of 2017, the system will be interoperable with the Kansas Turnpike Authority 's K-Tag and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority 's PikePass . The following toll roads (in order of first segment completion) form the current HCTRA system: The Sam Houston Tollway is the name given to the tolled sections of Beltway 8,

640-527: The Union Pacific railroad runs along its median. Like other toll roads in the Houston area , the speed limit is 65 mph (105 km/h), even inside Beltway 8. Future plans are to extend the toll road south an additional four miles (6 km) into downtown Houston (the northernmost mile marker is 25, though the current road is only 21.6 miles (34.8 km) long). In November 2007 the city of Houston gave approval for street closures required to construct

680-471: The Fort Bend Toll Road is jointly operated with the FBCTRA. In 2002, HCTRA entered into an agreement with TxDOT and Harris County for the reconstruction of I-10/Katy Freeway. The toll road authority's portion of the project is a 12-mile (19.3 km) managed lane facility in the center of the reconstructed freeway that is used by METRO and HOV vehicles at no charge and single passenger vehicles for

720-598: The Hardy Toll Road Downtown connector began in 2014. Because the population of Montgomery County experienced quick growth, the need for a northward extension was evaluated. Originally, the plan was to construct the extension along the right-of-way for the railroad. However, recent growth in Oak Ridge North requires that the Hardy Toll Road extension deviate from this right-of-way in places. Feasibility studies have evaluated possible routes between FM 1314 and

760-571: The Hardy Toll Road at I-610. Planning for the Hardy Toll Road connection into Downtown Houston was announced in 2000. The project will be completed in two phases. Phase I consists of moving a railroad line, right of way acquisition, and the construction of two overpasses. Phase II will be the construction of 4 toll lanes. Relocation of the rail line is expected to begin Fall of 2012. To relieve congestion on surface streets, direct connectors between Hardy Toll Road and Beltway 8 will be constructed. Currently there

800-684: The Hardy Toll Road never had the traffic that the HCTRA envisioned it would need to turn a profit, the Sam Houston Tollway has more than made up for the lost revenue. The high profit margins on the Sam Houston Tollway allowed the authority to construct its third and fourth toll roads, the Westpark Tollway and Fort Bend Toll Road , both of which opened in 2004. Both of these toll roads have termini in Fort Bend County and are run in conjunction with

840-675: The Harris County Toll Road Authority. There are no plans for HCTRA to implement tolls either the Lynchburg Ferry or the Washburn Tunnel. Nevertheless, HCTRA's involvement will include plans to improve the operations of both facilities, as well as much-needed repairs and upgrades. The HCTRA uses their own toll tag called the EZ TAG . The system has been interoperable with the Texas Department of Transportation 's TxTag and

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880-469: The Hempstead Highway corridor between I-610 and the future Grand Parkway (SH 99) northwest segment. The project was one component of the complete US 290 corridor upgrade by TxDOT, which also included added capacity to US 290, a new HOV system parallel to the Hempstead Highway, and a possible commuter rail line in conjunction with METRO. However, in April 2012, it was announced by HCTRA that the primacy of

920-823: The Hempstead Tollway was handed off to TxDOT. Construction of the tollway by TxDOT is not anticipated for several years. Although both of them are located within Montgomery County and were at the time owned and operated by Montgomery County Toll Road Authority (MCTRA), HCTRA formerly collected tolls for MCTRA for two flyover ramps: one from northbound I-45 to SH 242 westbound and the other from westbound SH 242 to I-45 southbound near The Woodlands . Both flyover ramps were completed on May 11, 2015, and were tolled between July 6, 2015, and May 28, 2019. Both ramps solely utilized electronic toll collection , and required drivers to own an EZ TAG, TollTag or TxTag transponder . After

960-485: The Toll Road Authority to administer the construction and operation of the new road system. Then-County Judge Jon Lindsay is generally credited with shepherding the referendum from its infancy to its passage, along with the implementation of the plan for the roadway. HCTRA was a part of Harris County's Public Infrastructure Department and is subdivided into a Services and an Operations Division. While for many years,

1000-552: The Tomball Tollway is all-electronic; an EZ TAG, TollTag or TxTag are required for passage. No cash or pay-by-mail option is available for the Tomball Tollway. Construction of Phase I of the Tomball Tollway between Spring Cypress Road and the north end of the Tomball Bypass began in Fall 2013 and was finished on April 12, 2015. Phase II of the SH 249 (Tomball Tollway) project, in partnership with Montgomery County Toll Road Authority , extends

1040-606: The Uptown District of Houston. The Fort Bend section of the Westpark Tollway is patrolled by Fort Bend County Constable, Precinct 4. Additional coverage is provided by the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Department or other agencies as needed. Parallel to the Fort Bend Westpark Tollway, FM 1093 has been widened by Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to four lanes. FM 1093 at this location serves as

1080-466: The West Sam Houston Tollway ( Beltway 8 ), and Grand Parkway ( State Highway 99 ), along with several minor interchanges. The namesake of the tollway is Westpark Drive—an east–west major arterial running through a mostly industrial area. Like other toll roads in the Houston area , the speed limit is 65 mph (105 km/h)—even inside Beltway 8. The Westpark Tollway

1120-467: The Westpark Tollway. The Harris County portion of the tollway right-of-way was acquired by HCTRA from METRO , which had previously purchased the entire railroad right-of-way from Southern Pacific in 1992. The Westpark corridor has a storied history as a transportation possibility. Originally on the books in the 1950s as the location of what is now Interstate 69 / U.S. Highway 59 (Southwest Freeway) before developers lured it south to serve Sharpstown,

1160-669: The Westpark corridor has seen several transportation plans. The first time a toll road was mentioned was in a 1979 survey of several routes by the Texas Turnpike Authority , leading to the construction of the Hardy Toll Road in Northern Harris County by HCTRA. A heavy rail line along the corridor was floated in the 1980s, but failed to win voter approval, along with a monorail that was ended with Mayor Kathy Whitmire in 1991. Another commuter rail idea ended as METRO purchased

1200-511: The connections to the downtown freeway loop. Originally, construction was scheduled to start in August 2009 with completion sometime in 2011; however, this has been delayed. It is expected that the toll road will deviate from Hardy Street south of I-610 and follow Maury Street to connect with the Eastex Freeway near I-10, as part of the ramp connections have already been built. Construction on

1240-435: The corridor and planned to run trains, but reversed itself and floated plans for a reversible high occupancy vehicle and bus transit lane to supplement the Southwest Freeway, tearing out the tracks in the mid 1990s. In 1999, HCTRA and METRO reached an agreement for half of the 100-foot (30 m) right-of-way to go towards a toll road run by HCTRA and the other half for use by METRO for light rail. [1] Whether or not it will be

Westpark Tollway - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-596: The future Fulshear Parkway, and additional direct connection flyovers with SH-99. Construction of phase one to extend Westpark Tollway from the Grand Parkway to just west of Spring Green Boulevard began in February 2016 and was finished in November 2017. From 2017 to 2020, FM 1093 was expanded from two to four lanes from the Grand Parkway to James Lane near Fulshear; the highway will serve as frontage roads for future extensions of

1320-533: The intersection of the proposed Grand Parkway (SH 99) for a total length of 26 miles (41.8 km). HCTRA would have maintain its segment north of Clear Creek at the Brazoria County Line. Shortly before construction began in November 2016, TxDOT's Toll Operations Division took control of the project from HCTRA. [REDACTED] Texas portal [REDACTED] U.S. Roads portal Texas State Highway 99 Hardy Toll Road The Hardy Toll Road

1360-471: The main corridor for the University Line is a contentious issue; Richmond Avenue, to the north, emerged as another option under consideration, along with the fact that Westpark Drive and its corresponding railroad right-of-way do not intersect METRORail at any point, much less Wheeler Station , which was chosen as the junction between the lines. As of 2006, a final corridor has not been chosen. As of 2014,

1400-546: The second highway loop around Houston. The first opened section was the Sam Houston Ship Channel Bridge in the east quadrant of the road system. From 1982 to 1994, the bridge, which was originally named in honor of local politician and entrepreneur Jesse H. Jones , was maintained by the Texas Turnpike Authority (now North Texas Tollway Authority ). As of February 26, 2011, the Sam Houston Tollway

1440-462: The second loop around the city, Beltway 8, which had been on planning maps since the 1950s. The Texas Turnpike Authority turned down the opportunity to improve the road as well, leaving the county to upgrade the road to freeway standards. However, Harris County could not afford to build and maintain a freeway from its general fund. Shortly after the referendum, the Commissioners Court created

1480-410: The switch to all-electronic tolling. All drivers must now use an EZ TAG to access the toll road. The road is named for nearby Hardy Street, which makes up the frontage roads for the toll road in two locations: between Spring Railroad Yard and FM 1960, and between Greens Road and Crosstimbers Road. A large portion of the southern segment resembles Austin's Mopac Expressway in that an active line of

1520-629: The tollway north of the Tomball Bypass to Sentinel Oaks just north of Spring Creek in Montgomery County. From that point, the corridor will extend north to points beyond in Montgomery and Grimes Counties. Construction of Phase II commenced in Spring 2017 and was completed in December 2019. This 4-mile (6.4 km) long project will provide a connection between Downtown Houston and the current terminus of

1560-459: The user's toll account. The Fort Bend section ties into the HCTRA portion of the tollway and is operated by the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority (FBCTRA), under the alias of the Fort Bend Westpark Tollway. The project, completed on August 10, 2005, improves auto mobility for residents in northeastern Fort Bend County by creating a new east–west corridor with access to State Highway 6 , Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8), I-69 / US 59 , and

1600-457: The westernmost 8 miles (12.9 km) of the tollway. The Fort Bend Toll Road is a 8.9-mile (14.3 km) tollway that follows the route of the formerly-cancelled State Highway 122. The toll road currently begins with direct connectors at US 90A, just north of the Sam Houston Tollway, and travels southward to its terminus at Sienna Ranch Road in Missouri City. As with the Westpark Tollway,

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