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TOMBALL - A straight shot to the Beltway from Tomball is inching closer to reality, as the Harris County Commissioners Court approved contracts with several engineering firms.

The expansion of SH 249 into a six-lane toll way, was approved by the court earlier this year and will run from the Tomball bypass to where the current freeway ends just north of Spring-Cypress Road.

The commissioners are looking at breaking ground about a year from now.

“I’m very excited,” Harris County Pct. 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said. “This road is a road that a lot of people have had a desire to see completed for awhile now.”

The court approved more than $7 million in expenditures for design plans, environmental studies, utilities, lighting, landscaping, signs and planning.

The overall plan is to eventually extend the highway through a sliver of Montgomery County, where SH 249 merges into FM 1774. The court is now looking at when the best time to complete the second phase, along with Montgomery County. Montgomery County is also in the beginning stages of looking into its part of the expansion.

“Everyone understands that as you increase mobility in that area that it increases the benefits for both counties as a whole,” Cagle said.

Harris County has planned all along to extend the highway north to Tomball, as there is already a huge median between the north and southbound lanes.

Current plans call for the toll road portion to be EZ tag only and will be the standard fee for Harris County toll roads.

The project was pushed along by Cagle, after being approached by members of the new 249 Partnership. The group includes members in Tomball, Magnolia and Navasota and exists to promote growth along the 249 corridor. They are currently working with TxDOT to promote expanding 249 through Navasota. That expansion would create a highway running from Houston all the way to College Station.

“This is a very good first step to make Texas A&M more connected to Houston and Harris County,” Cagle said.

Expenditures approved by the court for the expansion included nearly $2.8 million to engineers Binkley & Barfield, $1.5 million to Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville, $1.3 million to I.S. Engineers, $1 million to Aguirre & Fields, as well as several others listed under a million dollars.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas transportation officials say they will need about $4 billion more per year to maintain and improve the state's aging highway system and keep its growing population moving.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

With transportation being critical to the Magnolia area and transportation improvements in progress and on the way, the Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce will host a Transportation Update. This forum featuring Dr. David Ellis of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Lamar Casparis of the 249 Partnership will be at the Chamber's Monthly Business Luncheon, Feb. 28.

Ellis is a senior research scientist and manager of the Infrastructure Investment Analysis Program at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. He is also a visiting professor of urban planning in the Department of Urban Planning, College of Architecture at Texas A&M University. He received his bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics, a master's of Urban Planning, and a doctorate in Urban and Regional Science, all from Texas A&M University. His areas of interest include transportation finance and economics, demographics, and tax policy.

Casparis is a founding member of the 249 Partnership, a regional alliance dedicated to developing the SH 249 area from Houston to Bryan-College Station and beyond. He is also the 2013 chairman of the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce. As a certified public accountant with Fitts Roberts & Co., P.C. in Houston, Casparis holds multiple credentials in valuation and forensics and is a certified information technology professional. He is the current chairman of the American Board of Forensic Accountants.

Both Ellis and Casparis will offer an update on transportation in the greater Magnolia area. Mont-gomery County Commis-sioner Craig Doyal will be the chamber's special guest as well.

Doors for the MACC Business Luncheon open at 11:30 a.m. in the Celeste Graves Education Support Center, 31141 Nichols Sawmill Road. This Monthly Business Luncheon is open to the public and RSVPs are available by emailing, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling the Chamber at 281-356-1488. Tickets are $15 for members and $20 for non-members.