After more than two years of construction, two lanes of the FM 1488 overpass at FM 149 will open Monday, Feb. 26, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The city of Magnolia and the Greater Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning to celebrate the opening of the bridge.

In a proclamation issued Feb. 13, city officials honored the Butler family—one of the founding families in the Magnolia area—by naming the FM 1488 overpass "Butler’s Crossing." Friday's dedication of the overpass pays homage to the Butler family, specifically Boney “Sonny Boy” Butler, who was one of the oldest living residents of the area before his death in 1989 at the age of 93. Butler—along with his family—is known for assisting travelers as they passed through by giving water to people and horses from the family’s well, according to city information.

TxDOT began construction on the FM 1488 overpass in December 2015. The project provides drivers a direct route across FM 149 and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks near Magnolia High School.