TxDOT votes to complete Grand Parkway in Galveston County

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Texas Department of Transportation has voted to complete the Grand Parkway in Galveston County.

"We led an effort to make it known to TxDOT that completing SH99 as planned is vital to the safety and continued economic growth of Galveston County and the region," said Galveston County's Judge Mark Henry on a Facebook post.

A draft version of the 2020 Unified Transportation Program had previously cut the completion from the list of future projects, but Henry says he and other local leaders traveled to Austin to provide a testimony for the completion of the project.

The final version includes the completion of SH99, including the sections connecting I-45 in Galveston County to IH 69 in Fort Bend County.

"Once completed, this stretch of road will serve as a lifesaving hurricane evacuation route, reduce daily congestion, and further connect industry and business in Galveston County to the western parts of the greater Houston area," Henry said.