Visitors to Katy Mills Mall will be able to enter and exit more efficiently now that an extension of Katy Mills Boulevard has been opened and a signal light was scheduled to be in operation by Wednesday afternoon (July 28.)

Barricades have been removed and lights at the intersection with Market Place Drive have been flashing red for several days, said Katy Assistant City Administrator Bill Drohan.

The purpose of the project is help visitors get around the mall more easily and to end the traffic jams that sometimes occur at Christmas and other high volume shopping days.

“It gives people coming off the freeway onto Katy Mills Boulevard more access to the mall in a quicker manner so we don’t have a backup,” Drohan said.

The project extends Katy Mills Boulevard from Market Place Drive to the mall ring road, also known as Katy Mills Circle. A traffic signal and turn lanes have been added at the intersection with Marketplace Drive.
In the past, traffic from the freeway on Katy Mills Boulevard came to a stop sign at the intersection, and drivers on Market Place had the right-of-way. Motorists had to yield to traffic and turn right on Market Place to get to the ring road.

Drohan said he is already getting good reviews from mall visitors.
“They kind of like it,” he said. “The cars were getting pretty fast on Marketplace Drive. With a new stoplight at the intersection, it kind of gets everybody back in sync.”