NAVASOTA, Texas — Construction was completed earlier this year on a portion of Texas State Highway 249, colloquially known as the ‘Aggie Highway. The highway will connect the Pinehurst area to Navasota, meeting Texas State 105 in Grimes County.
“Just getting out of Houston, it can be so tricky," said Kathleen Barton, a Houston resident visiting downtown Navasota on Friday. "There’s just so much traffic in Houston, and if there was just a way to sort of get to these places quicker, but in just one straight shot – yeah, that would be nice.”
According to the Texas Department of Transportation [TxDOT], the road will pass through the cities of Magnolia, Todd Mission, Plantersville, and Navasota. A 15-mile portion will be operated as a controlled-access toll road, while the 11-mile segment closest to Navasota will be a non-toll rural highway.
“I think it’s good," stated Jordyn Milenkovic, a College Station resident who makes regular trips to Grimes County. "I think it will cut down on drive time for us going back and forth to Houston, Cypress, and The Woodlands. Sometimes Texas 105 gets backed up. Sometimes there’s an accident on U.S. 290 or Highway 6 and it’s backed up for miles - there’s literally no shortcut."
Milenkovic noted that the project isn't without its drawbacks.
“I do have a friend that has a family farm in Anderson, and she was mentioning that it was going to go straight through her family’s land," said Milenkovic. "I think that would be kind of a struggle there.”
The portion of Texas 249 connecting Magnolia and Plantersville was completed in March of this year, according to TxDOT. The region of the road stretching into Grimes County is set to finish in 2023.
“Having lived in College Station for years, I hate going into Houston or those thoroughfares that have so much traffic flying in and out," commented Nina McCane, another College Station resident visiting Navasota on Friday. "So to me, [Texas 249] is a more peaceable and enjoyable drive. It saves time, and gives us a different option.”
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