State Highway 249 Extension Design-Build — Grime And Montgomery Counties, Texas
Client
- Texas Department of Transportation Houston District
Project Value 
$607 Million
Market
Bridge, Transportation
Services
Alternative Project Delivery
We served as the lead designer on the design, build, and delivery of the award-winning State Highway 249 Extension for the Texas Department of Transportation, Houston District. From the outset, we supported the development of a new limited-access toll corridor, as well as the design, construction, and potential for capital maintenance of two segments. As a result, the highway connects a new toll road to the south for the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority, more efficiently links suburban communities with other regional roadways, enhances mobility and safety, and responds to population growth and residential development in this area. This project also provides a more direct link between Houston and Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Expanding The State Highway 249 Corridor
The state highway 249 extension is a 24-mile limited-access toll road in Montgomery and Grimes counties, northwest of Houston. It connects with a new toll facility to the south and strengthens links between suburban communities and regional highways. Consequently, drivers experience safer travel and improved reliability.
The Parsons team implemented multiple innovations and processes that affected project success. Substantial completion was achieved nine months ahead of the contract date.
Supporting Regional Growth And Mobility
Northwest Harris County continues to grow rapidly. Therefore, existing roadways began to experience congestion and longer travel times. The state highway 249 extension provides an alternative route that supports commuter and commercial traffic. In addition, it helps distribute traffic more efficiently across the regional network.
Delivering Integrated Engineering Services
We supported the design-build team with comprehensive engineering services while coordinating closely with TxDOT and local stakeholders. Throughout the project, collaboration ensured alignment with long term corridor goals. Our services included:
Roadway And Interchange Design
- Designed 14 miles of divided four lane highway and 10 miles of two lane rural roadway
- Delivered 13 interchanges, including seven with existing roadways and six with planned future thoroughfares
- Included 31,000 linear feet of earth reinforced retaining walls, along with noise barriers, pavement markings, traffic signals, and signing
Bridge And Structural Design
- Designed 57 bridges, including roadway crossings, rail crossings, waterway crossings, and a 3,000 foot direct connector
- Incorporated two long span steel bridges over UPRR with spans of 240 feet and 315 feet
- Bridge lengths ranged from 200 to 2,200 feet, totaling 38,000 linear feet and nearly 1.5 million square feet of deck area
Drainage, Hydrology, And Floodplain Coordination
- Designed 47 culvert crossings across multiple project segments
- Performed hydrology and hydraulic analysis across more than 100 streams and wetlands
- Coordinated seven FEMA floodplain crossings with county floodplain administrators
- Developed regional watershed models and incorporated in line detention and three retention ponds to prevent downstream impacts
Railroad And Utility Coordination
- Led railroad coordination with UPRR and BNSF for four crossings
- Prepared all railroad agreements and supporting exhibits for TxDOT
- Coordinated more than 60 utility relocations, adjustments, and protections across power, gas, communications, water, and sewer systems
ITS, Tolling, Lighting, And Aesthetics
- Designed tolling systems and ITS infrastructure integrated with the regional TxDOT network
- Developed an ITS implementation plan including dynamic message signs, cameras, and vehicle detectors
- Provided interchange, roadway, safety, and under bridge lighting
- Designed aesthetic treatments for high visibility bridges in accordance with Houston and Bryan District standards
Environmental Support
- Provided technical support to TxDOT to minimize impacts to wetlands and Waters of the US
- Supported Section 404 permitting efforts through avoidance and mitigation design
Addressing Environmental And Floodplain Conditions
The corridor crossed undeveloped and environmentally sensitive areas. As a result, careful planning guided the design. The project included 47 culvert crossings and more than 100 streams and wetlands. Additionally, seven FEMA floodplain crossings required close coordination with county floodplain administrators.
Designing Bridges And Supporting Infrastructure
The project includes 57 bridges spanning railroads, waterways, wetlands, and existing roadways. Bridge lengths range from 200 to 2,200 feet, totaling nearly 38,000 linear feet.
Client Testimonial
“Parsons was the design consultant for the design-builders team on TxDOT’s SH 249 Extension design-build project crossing both Bryan (Grimes County) and the Houston District (Montgomery County). They were an integral part of the team to ensure the project was built to the standards and quality that was expected by TxDOT. As the project manager, I was able to watch Parsons’ team be proactive in finding solutions to problems and find ways to overcome several challenges throughout design. They helped to keep communication open through our many meetings, site visits, and they answered all the calls. The Parsons team was professional and hardworking, which showed through the final product. This and more has led to the success and continued successful delivery of SH 249 Extension. Eric Bennett, PE, TxDOT Brenham Area Engineer
Project Awards
Parsons Wins 2023 National Design-Build Merit Award
We received the Design Build Institution of America’s (DBIA) 2023 National Design-Build Merit Award for our work on Texas Department of Transportation’s State Highway (SH) 249.
