The city of Shenandoah is moving forward with the $10 million extension project for David Memorial Drive but the new road will stop short of connecting to Texas 242 after the city of Conroe dropped its nearly $2 million allocation for the project.
On Aug. 9, Shenandoah City Council awarded a $5.3 million contract to Brice Civil Constructors for the construction of the road including a bridge, 8-inch concrete pavement, roadway embankment, underground storm, striping and signage.
Public Works Director Joseph Peart while the cost of the project has increased, Shenandoah and Montgomery County have agreed to split that cost and fund most of the project.
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“This interlocal, which is a supplement to the original agreement, prepares us to have all the monies we need to approve the project,” Peart said during a July 26 meeting.
The project will end at Conroe ‘s city limits just south of Houston Methodist Hospital-The Woodlands campus.
Conroe removed the almost $2 million allocated for the project in its 2024 budget due to financial constraints and concerns from city council regarding the design of the road that would go through the hospital parking lot.
Conroe’s council has not revisited the issue since its budget hearings in July and maintains it won’t make the funds available for 2024. The council agreed it will consider funding in 2025.
The project has been a verbal agreement among Shenandoah, Conroe, Montgomery County and the hospital for years.
“We do not have specific plans yet for the Conroe section, but we are looking at other options to complete the project,” said City Administrator Kathie Reyer. “Everyone from the hospital to commercial businesses, nearby residents, first responders and Conroe ISD wants this project, so it has regional support. We look forward to the completion of this important roadway project that has been several years in the making.”
