The project to construct an overpass at the intersection of FM 1488 and FM 149 near Magnolia High School was given to a contractor in July 2013, and construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2014.

The Texas Department of Transportation is still in the process of acquiring rights of way and relocating utilities, and construction will ensue once that has been accomplished, according to TxDOT spokeswoman Deidrea Samuels.

TxDOT awarded the project to James Construction Group LLC in the amount of $27.65 million.

The project, which is expected to alleviate congestion in the area, will cover the construction of an overpass over the railroad and FM 149, and will also include some road widening, Samuels said. The project should be completed by 2015.

"It's going to eliminate stopping the flow due to the railroad and the high school traffic," Magnolia City Administrator Paul Mendes said.

Mendes said the construction of the overpass would make it safer for those entering and exiting from the high school, and prevent police officers from having to guide the flow of traffic during peak travel times.

"It's going to increase mobility and alleviate traffic during key hours," Montgomery County Precinct 2 Commissioner Craig Doyal said. "It will certainly alleviate congestion."