*This story has been updated to reflect the ramps will not open after the ribbon cutting on Wednesday.
KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The long-awaited direct connector ramps from both directions of the Westpark Tollway to northbound Grand Parkway will open soon marking a major milestone in Fort Bend County’s ongoing efforts to improve mobility.
A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Wednesday, and the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority says the ramps will open after TxDOT connects the roadway to the ramps. A process that's expected to take about two weeks.
The project, envisioned and spearheaded by Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, will alleviate congestion and reduce drive times for thousands of daily commuters in one of the region’s busiest traffic corridors.
"These flyovers will let drivers bypass the lights and traffic backups underneath the Grand Parkway and FM 1093," Meyers said in a 2019 statement issued when he announced the construction project. This was before County Judge KP George led the redistricting of Meyers to a Sugar Land-based precinct in an all-out effort by Democrats on Commissioners Court to gain another Democratic seat and defeat Meyers, who has won seven straight elections.
Since the 2022 redistricting, Commissioner Vincent Morales has overseen the project. Meanwhile, Judge KP George has been indicted for allegedly attempting to manipulate the 2022 election by posting racially hateful comments on his Facebook page, aiming to gain sympathy for himself while falsely portraying his opponent, Trever Nehls, as being supported by racists. Taral Patel, George’s chosen candidate to replace Meyers, has also been indicted eight times for allegedly participating in similar schemes connected to both the 2022 and ongoing 2024 elections, where he is seeking to unseat Meyers.
Also Read: KP George Indicted for Misrepresentation of Identity
The $50.3 million project, which includes ramps connecting both eastbound and westbound Westpark Tollway to northbound Grand Parkway, will allow drivers to bypass signalized intersections entirely.
Meyers used creative financing to build the ramps ten years ahead of schedule.
"These two flyover ramps are being built through a cooperative effort between Fort Bend County Assistance Districts #1 and #9, the Fort Bend Toll Road Authority, and dedicated sales tax revenue from the Harris-Fort Bend Emergency Services District #100," Meyers said in his 2019 announcement.
In the 2019 statement, Meyers highlighted that, through careful planning and forethought, the engineering work had been fast-tracked, enabling an accelerated construction schedule that would bring the ramps online much sooner than usual.
Commissioner Andy Meyers
A map, provided by Commissioner Andy Meyers in 2019, of the ramps connecting the Westpark Tollway to the Grand Parkway northbound.
According to the Toll Road Authority, Meyers, George, Morales, and Commissioner Dexter McCoy are all expected to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
Expansion of the Westpark Tollway
In addition to the completion of the direct connectors, the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority will announce the construction of a four-mile extension of the Westpark Tollway. The expansion will cost $71.4 million and will extend the tollway westward from Spring Green Boulevard to Texas Heritage Parkway near Charger Way.
The tollway extension is expected to open in summer 2026. It will have two tolled lanes in each direction built between the existing lanes of FM 1093, with overpasses at key intersections, including Texas Heritage Parkway, Cross Creek Ranch Boulevard, and FM 1463. The current lanes will become the tollway's service roads and they will remain free for motorists who use them.
The new infrastructure projects are part of a broader initiative to improve traffic flow, accommodate growth, and enhance the quality of life for residents in Fort Bend County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation.
The owner of Covering Katy news is employed by the Precinct 3 Commissioners Office.