State Highway 242 (SH 242) is a Texas state highway connecting The Woodlands and Patton Village in southeast Texas.
 State Highway 242 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SH 242, highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
| Length | 21.633 mi[1] (34.815 km) | |||
| Existed | 1985–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  FM 1488 in The Woodlands | |||
 I-45 in Conroe | ||||
| East end |   I-69 / US 59 in Patton Village | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Texas | |||
| Counties | Montgomery | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
editSH 242 begins at FM 1488 in The Woodlands.[2] The highway, also known locally as College Park Drive, curves to the southeast and passes to the south of W. G. Jones State Forest. It then turns to the east and crosses I-45 in the southern outskirts of Conroe. East of I-45, the highway is also known locally as Needham Road until its intersection with Lexington Drive, where Needham Road turns north towards the San Jacinto River. The route continues to the east, crossing FM 1314 and FM 1485, before reaching its eastern terminus at I-69 / US 59 in Patton Village.[3]
History
editSH 242 was originally designated on December 22, 1936 as a route from SH 6 at or near Hempstead to SH 38 (now SH 6) at or near Sugar Land.[4] This route was deleted on September 26, 1939, as it became part of SH 6. SH 242 was designated between I-45 and US 59 (now dual-signed as I-69/US 59) on May 22, 1985. The westward extension to FM 1488 was designated on May 29, 1986.[1]
A pair of flyover ramps connecting SH 242 westbound to southbound I-45 and northbound I-45 to westbound SH 242 were constructed in 2015 by the Montgomery County Transportation Program (MCTP). The flyovers were both tolled, utilizing solely electronic toll collection and were opened to the public on May 11, 2015, initially toll-free. Between July 6, 2015, and May 28, 2019, the flyovers were tolled, with the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority (MCTRA) owning and maintaining the ramps while the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) collected the toll fees. After a unanimous vote by the Montgomery County Commissioners Court, the tolls on the flyovers were lifted, with ownership and maintenance being transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).[5] Another flyover ramp from northbound I-45 to eastbound SH 242 is scheduled for bidding beginning in August 2024, with construction commencing by the end of the year.[6] This project will have an estimated cost of $19.1 Million.[7][8] Long term plans also include a three-level diamond interchange with an overpass for SH 242 through movements over I-45.[9]
Major intersections
editThe entire route is in Montgomery County.
| Location | mi[10] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Woodlands | 0.0 | 0.0 | FM 1488 – Magnolia, Conroe | Western terminus | |
| Conroe | 4.4 | 7.1 | I-45 – Houston, Dallas | I-45 exit 79 southbound; 79A & 79B northbound. | |
| 4.7 | 7.6 | South Trade Center Parkway | Interchange[11] | ||
| | 10.5 | 16.9 |  FM 1314 – Conroe, Porter | Interchange[12][13] | |
| | 15.2 | 24.5 |  FM 1485 – New Caney | ||
| Patton Village | 21.6 | 34.8 | I-69 / US 59 – Houston, Cleveland | I-69/US 59 exit 161; eastern terminus. | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
edit- ^ a b Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 242". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2012). Texas County Mapbook (PDF) (Map) (2012 ed.). 1:120,000. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 560. OCLC 867856197. Retrieved 2011-11-25.[dead link]
- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (2012). Texas County Mapbook (PDF) (Map) (2012 ed.). 1:120,000. Texas Department of Transportation. p. 580. OCLC 867856197. Retrieved 2011-11-25.[dead link]
- ^ "Minutes of the December 21, 1936 State Highway Commission meeting" (PDF).
- ^ Jules Rogers (May 28, 2019), "Montgomery County Commissioners unanimously remove tolls along Hwy. 242 flyovers", Community Impact Newspaper, retrieved May 30, 2019
- ^ Shorten, Jessica (June 20, 2024). "Montgomery County approves $19.1 million for Hwy. 242 flyover construction".
- ^ Thompson, Ben (April 6, 2021). "Eastbound, Nontolled Flyover Road from I-45 to Eastbound Hwy. 242 Enters Preconstruction Phase". CommunityImpact.com. The Woodlands: Community Impact Newspaper. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Dominguez, Catherine (June 18, 2024). "Montgomery County Funds $19 Million Direct Connector For Texas 242".
- ^ "Montgomery County Precinct 2 Mobility Study - Recommendations". Experience.ArcGIS.com. The Woodlands: Houston-Galveston Area Council. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ "State Highway 242" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
- ^ Google (2020-08-03) TX-242 Conroe, Texas (Street View) Google Maps Retrieved 2020-08-03.
- ^ SH 242 Schematic from East of San Jacinto River to FM 1314 Texas Department of Transportation 2016-12-26 (Retrieved 2020-08-03)
- ^ SH 242 at FM 1314 Google Maps. Retrieved 8 January 2021