Harris County

The Sam Houston Tollway (SHT) will be a complete 88-mile, 141km belt route from February 26 with the scheduled opening of a final 13 mile, 21km segment in the northeast. Known as the Sam Houston Tollway Northeast the segment is 2x3 toll expressway lanes with continuous untolled frontage roads. These provide surface signalized intersections for connection to local streets and for turns - a rather standard Texas arrangement.

All the fuss at the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) was back in May. Mike Strech, tollroad director resigned after a confrontation with his county government boss Art Storey over soliciting vendors for support for an annual staff party. The implication was that he left under an ethical cloud after a career almost as long as the tollroad system.

Veteran Harris County Toll (HCTRA) director Mike Strech is out. He submitted his resignation "effective immediately" on Friday and left the building not to return. Relations had been strained with executive-director, Arthur Storey, we're told.