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February 8 2026
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Vol. XI • No. 3
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SH 105 Widening Continues in Montgomery County By Irwin Rapoport
SER Construction Partners LLC is a year into the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) $64 million State Highway 105 widening and reconstruction project in Montgomery County — an initiative converting 5-7 mi. of an east-west, two-lane asphalt driving surface into a four-lane concrete highway. The project is among four ongoing segments totaling 20 mi. that will widen SH 105 between the cities of Conroe and Cleveland. SER’s section passes through an area with forested areas on both sides, along with homes and businesses and intersections for local roads. “The project is intended to prepare the corridor for continued growth in the area, which has led to higher traffic volumes and increasing congestion on the existing roadway,” said Leo Flores, a TxDOT Houston District spokesman. “By widening the roadway to four lanes and adding a continuous two-way center turn lane, the project will improve traffic flow and give drivers a safer place to make turns, helping to reduce congestion and improve overall safety along the corridor.” The estimated cost of the overall project, financed by state and federal funds, is approximately $175 million. When completed, it will have four lanes with a continuous center turn lane, sidewalks and accommodations for bicycles within the project limits, and will convert approximately 75 percent of the project from an open ditch to curb and gutter drainage system. Early project planning started in 2003, and public hearings were held in 2019, bolstered by various studies and environmental assessments. Construction began in 2021. SER Construction was awarded a contract for its portion of the project on Oct. 31, 2024. Before construction, SH 105 within the project limits generally consisted of a two-lane undivided roadway (one 12-ft. lane in each direction) with 11-ft. outside shoulders. A small section of the existing roadway near Conroe consisted of four 11-ft. travel lanes (two in each direction), no shoulders and a continuous two-way turn lane. The project’s final section will be a 10-in. continuously
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Fresh concrete cures in the Texas sun.
Cranes were heavily involved in creating bridges over Jayhawker Creek and Bee Branch.
reinforced concrete pavement up to 95 ft. wide to provide for two lanes in each direction with full-width shoulders on each side with a continuous center turning lane. Project Changes BGE Inc. designed the project. Public input helped shape the final design. “The original project was environmentally approved on February 20, 2020,” according to a TxDOT web page. “Since environmental approval, continued project development efforts have identified the need for several design changes. The proposed design changes include the elimination of a section of sidewalks on the south side of SH 105 from 10th Street to FM 3083/Beach Airport Road, the addition of turn lanes on FM 1314 and FM 3083 and the addition of U-turns at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway crossing located east of Walker Rd. Two additional detention ponds would also be added; one located west of Jefferson Chemical Road, and one near Caney Creek.” The traffic management plan is based on closing large full sections of SH 105 to permit crews to excavate the existing asphalt lanes and construct the concrete lanes. TxDOT has set up detours to help motorists. “The project is phased such that existing traffic has been shifted to permit one-half of the 95-foot roadway section to be constructed at a time,” said Scott Ashmore, an SER senior project manager. “SER is nearing completion of the 5.2 miles of the westbound travel lanes, the outside shoulder and half of the continuous center turning lane.” SER Construction has made steady progress throughout, Ashmore said. “Thus far, the project has been working five and sometimes six days per week, with all earthwork, drainage, bridge and subbase crews working typical daytime work shifts,” he said, “but concrete paving activities typically start during the early morning hours with the anticipation of being completed with each shift prior to the afternoon/after school traffic congestion that develops. see WIDENING page 16
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