Conroe City Council approved an interlocal agreement Jan. 22 that shifts sponsorship of the Old Conroe Road project to Montgomery County—handing over design documents and any acquired right of way to move the long-planned roadway expansion forward.
The gist
Montgomery County Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley said in a news release that the county will assume leadership after the city abandoned the effort in May 2025, putting federal funding at risk.
The project calls for extending Old Conroe Road from South Loop 336 to FM 1488, building a new bridge crossing the San Jacinto River and widening the corridor into a four-lane roadway, according to the agreement.
How we got here
In May 2025, Conroe City Council voted to reallocate capital improvement funding previously set aside for the Old Conroe Road project, citing rising costs, a lack of county participation at the time and urgent water system needs; the vote passed 4-1, with Mayor Pro Tem Howard Wood as the lone no vote, as Community Impact previously reported.
During that meeting, city officials said Conroe had already spent about $4.7 million on preliminary design and engineering, and council members noted that only about 1.25 miles of the roughly 5.5-mile project sits within Conroe city limits.
What changed
During the Jan. 22 council discussion, City Administrator Gary Scott framed the shift as a way to move the roadway forward while reducing the financial exposure for Conroe taxpayers.
As presented, the interlocal agreement changes the project sponsor to Montgomery County and requires the city to transfer the project’s design documents and related rights so the county can administer the remaining work.
Scott also said the project’s cost estimate has climbed since the early stages of planning. In the meeting discussion, he said the project now sits at about $221 million.
City staff told council the city did not have to give up anything in exchange for the county taking the lead. When asked if Conroe had any “trade-offs,” Scott replied, “none whatsoever.”
Diving in deeper
Under the agreement, the project carries an estimated total cost of $221 million. The document also states the project is a Houston-Galveston Area Council-approved project included in the region’s transportation plans.
The agreement lays out what the county will pay immediately to cover design-related costs already incurred:
- Within 45 days of the city executing the agreement, Montgomery County will pay $3.4 million—listed as the county’s “amended share”—toward preliminary design and plans, specifications and estimates costs tied to the project.
- After execution, the county will take over contract administration and succeed to the city’s rights under the design documents.
The city, in turn, must transfer and assign the design documents and associated rights to the county. The agreement also requires Conroe to convey to the county any right of way it acquired for the project within 60 days of executing the deal.
The agreement states the road will be designed to Texas Department of Transportation standards, and Conroe “expressly approves” any deviation from the city’s street standards inside city limits.
What’s next
Riley said in the news release that, after the city’s vote to transfer the project, Montgomery County Commissioners Court is expected to take action later this month to allow design completion, right-of-way acquisition and construction to proceed.
The agreement also includes contingencies; aside from paying the amended share, the county’s obligation to construct the project depends on receiving federal or state funds or otherwise appropriating construction funding.
The agreement also includes a “connecting road” between the city’s water/wastewater plant and the Old Conroe Road extension. If the county builds that connecting segment as part of the federal funding request, Conroe agrees to pay the local match—anticipated at 20% of the connecting road’s total cost.