CYPRESS, Texas – Cypress has become one of the fastest-growing communities in the Houston area.
Recommended Videos
From thousands of new homes in master-planned communities like Towne Lake and Bridgeland to the steady growth of shopping centers, restaurants and the future Toro District – the Houston Texans’ training facility – development around Cypress has seemed to come from everywhere.
But while the community continues to expand, many residents say one thing has struggled to keep pace: the roads.
For Cypress residents who drive roads like Fry Road and Barker Cypress Road, congestion has become part of the daily commute.
So we went to TxDOT and Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom S. Ramsey’s office to see how officials plan to address the congestion and help relieve some of that pressure.
Long-awaited road connection breaks ground
One of the largest road projects promised for years is now underway.
Construction began during the second week of July on a new connection between Skinner Road and Greenhouse Road. Once complete, the roadway will create another north-south route through Cypress. The road will also connect Towne Lake — one of the largest neighborhoods in Cypress — directly to U.S. 290.
According to TxDOT, the approximately $74 million project will build a six-lane underpass beneath U.S. 290. The project will also include sidewalks and bikeways aimed at improving safety and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.
Rather than waiting at a railroad crossing, as drivers do on Fry Road, traffic will travel beneath both the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and U.S. 290 through the new underpass.
The project is expected to take approximately four years to complete.
Residents should also expect some growing pains during construction.
TxDOT says residents should expect periodic disruptions as construction continues. Eastbound and westbound lanes of U.S. 290 will be affected at various points, and crews will implement traffic shifts while building the support structures for the underpass.
More projects on the horizon
The Skinner Road-Greenhouse Road project is the only major project currently under construction, but it is not the only one planned. Harris County Precinct 3 is also studying improvements along Fry Road.
According to Precinct 3 officials, a current study is examining Fry Road from House Hahl Road – where it becomes Mound Road – north to Cypress Walk Lane, where Fry Road transitions into Cypress Rosehill Road.
The goal is to identify improvements that can help reduce congestion along the heavily traveled corridor. Precinct 3 officials expect the design phase to be completed by next summer.
Another future project would extend Mason Road beneath U.S. 290, allowing traffic to pass under both the highway and the railroad tracks and providing another connection to the south side of Cypress.
Officials say the project would function similarly to the planned Skinner Road-Greenhouse Road connection.
Precinct 3 estimates that the project would also take approximately four years to complete, although officials have not yet released additional design details.
While several major improvements are planned, many are still years away. In the meantime, many residents remain concerned about whether TxDOT and Precinct 3 will deliver on their promises and ease congestion that affects drivers today.