Houston / Grand Parkway archive
Grand Parkway, West Segment
Interstate 10 to Riverpark · July 2001
Created and last updated July 25, 2001
Eighteen photographs follow the original west segment south from Interstate 10 through Cinco Ranch, FM 1093, US 90A and the Brazos River corridor.
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Wide medians and interrupted main lanes show a parkway built for later expansion.
Houston / Grand Parkway west
Follow the west segment from Interstate 10 to Riverpark.
Scan the photographs and captions, or settle into the larger slideshow.
Explore the Grand Parkway west collection
Feeder roads, Cinco Ranch and Westheimer
Interstate 10 to FM 1093
Route photographs: Interstate 10 to FM 1093
8 photographsImages start at the north and proceed southward
A. Feeder roads south of Interstate 10
B. The freeway begins at Cinco Ranch
C. North toward Cinco Ranch
July 20, 2001
D. South from Westheimer
July 21, 2001
E. Cinco Ranch houses beside the freeway
F. North from Fry Road
G. North at FM 1093
H. FM 1093 pump station
Short main lanes, stop signs and prison property
FM 1093 to US 90A
Route photographs: FM 1093 to US 90A
6 photographs
J. South of FM 1093
K. Main lanes between intersections
L. A stop sign on the Grand Parkway
M. Approaching US 90A through prison property
N. Four-lane road through prison property
O. Driver's view at US 90A
Landscaping, right-of-way and Riverpark
New Territory and the Brazos River
Route photographs: New Territory and the Brazos River
4 photographs
July 21, 2001
P. New Territory south of US 90A
July 21, 2001
Q. North from the Brazos River
July 21, 2001
R. South from the Brazos River
July 21, 2001
S. Riverpark Boulevard
From the original archive
Grand Parkway, West Segment
Also see: Grand Parkway future plans and status
Grand Parkway in 2001
Today, only one section of the Grand Parkway has been constructed: the west segment. This section opened on August 31, 1994. I was at the opening ceremony and I still have a commerative insulated Grand Parkway beverage holder ("koozie") that was distributed at the event, which was well-planned by local real-estate interests. A large gathering of vehicles lined up near the Brazos River bridge. After the ceremony, we drove the Grand Parkway.
Only about 3 miles of the west section is a full freeway, and the rest is designed to be easily upgraded to a freeway. New housing developments at the north and south ends of this section have been booming. That includes Cinco Ranch on the north end, and Greatwood, New Territory, and Riverpark on the south end. In the middle, subdivision development is just starting to gain momentum. The westward extension of the Westpark Tollway will accelerate activity. South of the current southern terminus, development was proceeding so quickly that authorities had to act quickly to preserve right-of-way. The alignment for the southwestern segment was recently approved.
Real estate developers along the Grand Parkway have been nicely landscaping the roadway. In the long run, most of the Grand Parkway will truly be a parkway - an oasis among all the commerical clutter and billboards of Houston.
On March 29, 2001, the Texas Transportation Commission authorized $28 million for contruction of interchanges on the Westpark Tollway at the Grand Parkway and a nearby intersecting road. I don't know the scope of work, but it probably includes a section of Grand Parkway main lanes and possibly connector ramps.
Grand Parkway west-segment map
August 31, 1994
Grand Parkway opening koozie, front
August 31, 1994
Grand Parkway opening koozie, back
July 20, 2001
Grand Parkway roadside sign
July 21, 2001