Study: Westpark Tollway underpass and overpass both feasible; underpass about $10 million costlier to accommodate future rail

Fulshear Economic Development Corporation staff reported results of a Westpark Tollway Underpass Study that found both underpass and overpass options are technically feasible through downtown.

Staff presenter (speaker 3) explained that an underpass alignment would begin below grade at Sim Street and rise after the wastewater-plant turnaround, while an overpass would cross over 359 and Wallace Street. The underpass option was estimated to cost roughly $10 million more than the overpass because an underpass must be built to accommodate a future transit/rail alignment in the right-of-way; that rail accommodation cannot be added later without major reconstruction. The study noted that overpass bridges on Westpark Tollway currently do not include rail provisions, which is where much of the cost delta originates.

Staff said the study was submitted to the Tollway Authority before Thanksgiving and that the city has suggested possible offsets or cost-sharing arrangements; staff is awaiting a response. Board members discussed funding alternatives, including potential toll-revenue mechanisms, and noted the project’s long time horizon and implications for right-of-way and utility coordination. Staff also flagged that the city’s wastewater plant location is a constraint that may factor into negotiations with the Tollway Authority and Metro.

No formal board decision was recorded; staff said they would share any response from the Tollway Authority and pursue further conversations about funding and design choices.