Feasibility study finds Westpark Tollway underpass through Fulshear downtown is engineering‑feasible; higher estimated cost than overpass

City Manager Zach Goodlander reported to council on Jan. 20 that a feasibility study by Gannett Fleming shows an underpass option for the Westpark Tollway through the downtown corridor is feasible from an engineering standpoint and could be constructed without pumping stations for groundwater control.

Goodlander said the underpass alternative — roughly from east of Sim Street under Main Street and Wallace Street — carries a higher capital cost in the study's schematic estimate (approximately $51.8 million in fiscal-year terms that were in the slide deck) compared with a traditional overpass estimate of about $41.8 million. He emphasized the city does not own the tollway right-of-way; the Tollway Authority owns the corridor and the county will be the primary implementing agency. "We wanted to demonstrate to the Tollway Authority what that delta would probably be," Goodlander said.

Council members responded favorably to the aesthetics and potential long-term connectivity benefits of an underpass but asked staff to pursue coordination with the Tollway Authority and consider a council resolution of support to strengthen the city's position in future negotiations.

Next steps: Staff will share the full feasibility report with the Tollway Authority and consider drafting a resolution to show support for an underpass alternative if council chooses to indicate a local preference.