TxDOT representatives updated League City residents Tuesday evening on Segment B1 of the Grand Parkway (State Highway 99), describing the project’s scope, procurement timeline, construction impacts and community outreach as work moves from design toward construction.

City Manager John Baumgartner opened the meeting and introduced TxDOT staff and city officials. Kenneth Shirley, TxDOT construction manager/engineer for the project, led the presentation and described Segment B1 as a roughly 14‑mile, four‑lane tollway between League City and Alvin with multiple direct connectors at Interstate 45 and U.S. 35. Shirley said the contract cost is estimated at about $1.96 billion and that “that’s toll” funding for most of the work, though he also identified a separate state‑funded piece included in the contract.

Why it matters: The project will build new tolled main lanes down the middle of the corridor, replace or rebuild portions of existing FM 35, and add several interchanges and direct connectors that TxDOT says are intended to improve mobility and support economic growth. Residents at the town hall pressed TxDOT on noise walls, property impacts, traffic control at tie‑in points and the project’s timeline.

Project scope and funding
TxDOT said Segment B1 will include four toll lanes (two each direction), “discontinuous” frontage configurations rather than continuous frontage roads, multiple mainline toll plazas across the greenfield portion, and direct connector bridges at 45 and 35. Shirley described a toll‑funded financing model for the corridor: “That’s toll. That’s toll revenue,” he said, to explain that toll collections — not local property tax dollars — will pay most of the work.

Shirley gave a cost estimate of about $1.96 billion for the design‑build contract and described the procurement as an a+b qualification‑plus‑price selection. He said TxDOT shortlisted three proposers and planned a conditional award in April, with contract execution targeted for June or July and a later construction notice to proceed (NTP 2) after final plans are approved.

Schedule and next steps
TxDOT outlined the near‑term schedule the agency provided at the meeting:
- Requests for qualifications were posted in January; proposals followed in March–April; final RFP issued in September. TxDOT said it must complete procurement steps under statutory deadlines.
- Geotechnical borings and early field investigations are expected in summer 2026.
- Shirley said heavy earthwork and visible construction activity would likely begin in 2027 once designs and approvals are in hand; TxDOT stated an opening to toll target of 2031.

Shirley emphasized phasing decisions will depend on contractor scheduling and project priorities: crews may start sooner in open greenfield areas and later in the busier, utility‑dense stretches along FM 35.

Construction challenges and community impacts
TxDOT identified several risks and constraints discussed at the town hall:
- Utility relocations: Shirley said the project has identified hundreds of utility conflicts — “over 450” across the 35 corridor and about 159 in the 45 area (figures cited from TxDOT’s recent counts). Pipelines and high‑voltage transmission lines are among the most complex relocations.
- Railroad coordination: TxDOT has an agreement in place with BNSF but said contractors will need to meet additional railroad requirements before work adjacent to tracks can proceed.
- Tight right‑of‑way in places, which will require retaining walls and nonstandard toll‑plaza configurations.
- Traffic and staging complexity at the 35 corridor and at the 45 interchange, where direct‑connector bridges are planned as a separate, traditional contract that TxDOT expects to align with the design‑build schedule so connectors will be ready when mainline toll lanes open.

Noise mitigation and property impacts
Residents asked repeatedly about noise walls and property impacts. Shirley said TxDOT held a noise workshop and that four locations were evaluated for walls: two apartment locations near 35, Watermark subdivision, and Bay Colony subdivision between 646 and Calder. He told an audience member asking about Hobbs Road that no noise wall was planned there for this project: “For this project and the the 4 lines that we're putting up, there is not an intention to put up walls near Hobbs.” Environmental staff were described as finalizing the noise report and planned to notify affected property owners.

Right‑of‑way, drainage and detention
TxDOT said right‑of‑way acquisition has begun and is well underway. The project will include multiple detention/retention ponds; when asked, Shirley said the number was “in the 30 to 40 range” and later referenced about 42 ponds in parts of the design. He also said some on‑site drainage features will sit within the 400‑foot corridor and under bridge footprints.

Local access, interchanges and traffic controls
Shirley and city staff described interchange locations and access plans: several on/off interchanges are shown at Georgetown Parkway, a Crossbow interchange serving West Boulevard/Longfellow/McFarland/Maple Leaf, Bay Area, Landing and Calder, and a tie into FM 646 at the west end. TxDOT said the design intentionally provides multiple access points to match prior corridor agreements and local thoroughfare plans. FM 35 (the non‑tolled facility) will remain free and continue to serve local traffic alongside the tolled lanes.

Community and business opportunities
TxDOT discussed contractor subcontracting opportunities and local business roles beyond heavy‑equipment work, including security, janitorial services, office supplies, equipment leasing and maintenance. Shirley said the project may bring “3 to 400 pairs of boots” (workers) over the job life and encouraged local businesses to prepare for supply and service opportunities.

Safety plea and public information
Shirley made a personal safety appeal to drivers near work zones: “Please, slow down. Give us the opportunity to go home to see our loved ones,” he said, recounting close calls he had seen on previous highway projects.

Information and follow‑up
TxDOT and the City of League City will post materials to project websites and provide a contractor‑run public information program after award. Shirley gave contact guidance (his work phone and TxDOT public information officer Danny Perez) and directed residents to three project websites TxDOT is maintaining: an environmental page, an engineering page for proposers, and the League City page that will host materials for the public.

Questions and remaining issues
Residents at the town hall pressed TxDOT and city officials on noise wall timelines, whether property values would be studied (city staff said they had not completed property‑value studies), whether signal lights would be added at tie‑ins (signals are “to be determined” based on post‑opening traffic counts), and how utility relocations might affect water, sewer or gas service (TxDOT and city staff said temporary outages would be scheduled and customers notified in advance where relocations are necessary).

What’s next
TxDOT said it expects to finalize procurement in the months after a conditional award and to begin contractor‑led final design, with visible construction activities ramping up after NTP 2 is issued and heavier work in 2027. The agency asked residents to follow posted project websites for updated schedules and public‑information contacts.

Votes at a glance: none — this was an informational town hall and no formal votes or council actions were recorded at the meeting.

Ending: TxDOT and League City officials said they will post the presentation and follow up with noise‑workshop results and other requested materials. Residents with project questions were given contact information for TxDOT construction staff and the agency public information officer.