The sound comes from all directions if you’re standing atop a mound of dirt overlooking Interstate 45, less than a mile from where the trees and subdivisions of Harris County give way to the trees and subdivisions of Montgomery County.

Below, traffic whizzes along I-45 in neat clusters. In 30 minutes, it’ll slow to a crawl with the end of the work day.Progress Along The Grand ParkwayHouston Chronicle

In a year or so, the spot will shift from work zone to major commuter route as crews complete the next 38 miles of the Grand Parkway, extending the tollway from Katy to Spring and adding what officials call a critical link in the regional road system.

Since construction began a year ago, crews have made significant progress on the $1.1 billion project extending the parkway from U.S. 290 northeast to U.S. 59 north of Humble. Property acquisition – which began around the same time – is 75 percent complete. That’s plenty to keep construction on track, officials said.

via Cattle wrangling among challenges of parkway construction project – Houston Chronicle.