Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison is hopeful that a proposed widening of Crabb River Road would garner enough funds for work to start in 2011.

Facilitated by state Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, Morrison flew to Washington D.C. two weeks ago to lobby for funding for the $80 million project with Congressional members and reported progress in his bid.

The county has applied for a slice of the $1.5 billion Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Discretionary Grants, or TIGER for short. The funds are part of the so-called "stimulus money" under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“I’ve got support of folks from both sides of the aisle,” Morrison said of his meetings with Congress members, adding he will fly to D.C. again in January to solidify their support before a decision is made on the county’s TIGER application.

Morrison said the project would be accomplished through a multi-government partnership that includes funding from the state, county and municipalities including Sugar Land, Rosenberg and possibly Thompsons. He hopes local authorities would pick up 20 percent of the tab to boost the project's chance of getting the federal funding.

Project planner said donation of land by private property owners along the road also will be solicited, said Larry Janak, executive vice president of IDC Inc., an engineering firm hired by the county for the project.

The project seeks to expand a 3½ mile roadway that begins as Crabb River Road, also known as FM 2759, which runs south from the intersection of U.S. 59 along several subdivisions west of Sugar Land including Greatwood, Tara and Canyon Gate Estates and continues across railroad tracks as FM 762 just south of the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District's site for a new high school and junior high campus.

With open ditches, the roadway is mostly two-lane, one for each direction, except for Crabb River Road that has an additional center turn lane.

As proposed, the road would be rebuilt as four lanes with curbs and gutters and a median dividing two lanes in each direction.

Two major pieces of the project include a Crabb River Road underpass at its intersection with Sansbury and a four-way bridge at its intersection with the railroad.

A Dec. 10 joint public meeting held by the Texas Department of Transportation and the county drew about more than 100 residents who said the project is much needed to improve the highly congested Crabb River Road.

Charles Titus, a resident of Royal Lakes Estates off FM 762 south of the railroad, said he avoids driving on Crabb River Road in the morning and cuts through Greatwood to get to U.S. 59 to get to work in the morning.

“If I can make it to Rabbs River (on Crabb River Road) without traffic jam, it’s a good morning,” Titus said.

Also, thousands more vehicles carrying parents, students and school staff will be on the road with the planned opening of the new high school next year, making the project more urgent, Janak said.

Lynn Franklin, president of the Canyon Gate Homeowners Association, said neighbors believe the design of the project indicated no negative impact on the neighborhoods.

“We were particularly glad that it would not affect the 102-year-old Mount Mariah Missionary Baptist Church near the intersection of (U.S.) 59 and Crabb River Road,” Franklin said.

Some residents expressed concerns about an overpass, instead of an underpass, proposed at the rail crossing, calling the structure intrusive to their view.

Janak cited cost as a factor.

“An underpass would increase the cost exponentially,” he said.

Out of the estimated $80 million, construction would cost $65 million, Janak said.

About 23 acres would have to be acquired to allow for the road’s expansion. Additional right of way is mostly needed near the Sansbury intersection and south of the railroad, Janak said.

Morrison has asked the George Foundation to donate its right of way along the southern portion of FM 762.

If all goes well, Morrison believes construction could be completed by the end of 2012.

The state transportation department continues to seek public comment on the project through Dec. 28. Comments can be e-mailed to hou-piowebmail@dot.state.tx.us or mailed to Director of Project Development, Texas Depart of Transportation, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, Texas 77251-1386.