During the July 17, 2019 Board Meeting, Visit The Woodlands approved the designation of a funding request to offset the project costs for a portion of Interstate 45 to be designated as the George P. Mitchell Memorial Highway.
“This community would not be here without his foresight and drive,” said Visit The Woodlands Chairman, Bruce Rieser. “I think this is a very appropriate memorial to his memory and what he means to this particular part of Texas.”
Visit The Woodlands along with other community leaders have come together to recognize the founder of The Woodlands, George P. Mitchell, with special signage along Interstate Highway 45. This signage will be seen by millions of travelers to and through The Woodlands for years to come. Joining with the Visit The Woodlands in honoring the late founder of The Woodlands are The Woodlands Township, The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce and The Howard Hughes Corporation.
“We are thrilled to participate in this project to honor Mr. Mitchell and join other organizations to recognize his vision in building a place that we love. We are so fortunate to live in a community like The Woodlands with the economic vitality, employment opportunities, and amenities we can all enjoy. Simply put, without George Mitchell, we would not be here,” said J.J. Hollie, President and CEO of The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce and Visit The Woodlands Director.
Texas House Bill 2571 (H.B. 2571), passed in the 2019 Texas Legislative Session, designating a portion of Interstate 45 in Montgomery County from the Harris-Montgomery County line to State Highway 242 as the George P. Mitchell Memorial Highway. The bill was authored by Representative Steve Toth, co-authored by Representative Will Metcalf and sponsored by Senator Brandon Creighton. The bill was signed by Governor Greg Abbott and went into effect on June 10, 2019.
“This is something that we can all feel really good about,” said State Representative Steve Toth at the Township’s board meeting. “We're blessed to live in one of the nicest planned communities in the United States.”
The bill requires TxDOT, subject to a grant or donation of funds, to design and construct markers indicating the designation as the George P. Mitchell Memorial Highway and any other appropriate information and to erect a marker at each end of the highway and at appropriate intermediate sites along the highway.
“George Mitchell was a pioneer and visionary with the creation of The Woodlands,” said Paul Layne, President - Central Region for The Howard Hughes Corporation. “It’s an honor to be a part of this project designating I-45 through The Woodlands as the George P. Mitchell Memorial Highway.”
Learn more about George Mitchell and the history of The Woodlands.
