Township to share cost on Kuykendahl Road pathway connector

The Woodlands has more than 500 mile of pathways connecting residential and commercial areas. The Woodlands has more than 500 mile of pathways connecting residential and commercial areas. Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Township to share cost on Kuykendahl Road pathway connector 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The Woodlands Township Board of Directors approved a cost-sharing agreement for a pathway along Kuykendahl Road to connect existing pathways.

According to information from the township, the pathway would stretch across the new Kuykendahl about 7,000 feet between Flintridge Drive and Timarron Drive.

The cost of the project is $429,830.50. The township would be responsible for $214,915.25. The fund will come from the township's capital reserve fund. Pathway funds were not included in the Comprehensive Community Services Agreement. However, The Woodlands Land Development Company will fund the other half of the project. This approach has been used in the past for the pathway connectors, according to John Powers, assistant general manager of Community Services for the township.

He said the bridge will have a pathway along it but that would create gaps in the pathway. Residents, he said, requested that the pathway connect to the bridge in conjunction with the Montgomery County Precinct 3 and Harris County Precinct 4 project to widen Kuykendahl Road.

The board previously approved this project to be included in the short list of projects to be submitted to the Houston Galveston Area Council for potential grant funding and authorized Jones and Carter to prepare a grant application for the project when H-GAC released the "call for projects." However, Powers said, the township learned H-GAC does not expect to release the call until fall 2017, and available funding will be limited to road projects, thereby leaving little opportunity to receive grant funds through H-GAC for this project in the near future.

Board Chairman Gordy Bunch asked whether the project fits the township's definition of a high-priority project. Powers said it does.

"It's very similar to the pathway on Gosling (Road) bridge," board member Bruce Rieser said.