A portion of the $100 million project to expand Hwy. 242 will go out for bid this fall, according to officials with the Texas Department of Transportation.

The project will add an eastbound and westbound lane to Hwy. 242 between FM 1488 in Conroe and Hwy. 59 in New Caney. The construction is intended to expand the thoroughfare’s capacity in response to the growing population and development along the east-west corridor, TxDOT spokesperson Deidrea George said.

The project will be constructed in phases and will add an overpass at the intersection of Hwy. 242 and FM 1314 in Conroe.

“The FM 1314 overpass project is scheduled to let this fall,” George said. “The remaining portion of the project will let in 2021. This could change depending on funding.”

Ted Stanley, College Park Village Association president, said with the addition of three major hospitals at one central location, the intersection of Hwy. 242 and I-45 has become a focal point for Montgomery County.

“When the new hospitals open, people will be coming from all over the county—from Conroe to the north, New Caney to the east, Spring to the south and Magnolia to the west—by I-45 or Hwy. 242,” Stanley said. “That intersection is going to become one of the busiest—if not the busiest and most heavily used in the county.”

Upon completion, George said the project will be particularly helpful to eastbound commuters when Grand Texas—a 632-acre entertainment complex located at the intersection of Hwy. 242 and Hwy. 59—opens in east Montgomery County.

Stanley said between the new hospitals and the population growth on both sides of the county, the project is a necessity for commuters and residents alike.

“Over the past eight or nine years we’ve seen a tremendous increase in traffic, especially at the intersection of I-45 and Hwy. 242,” Stanley said. “I think anytime [TxDOT] can improve the roadways and increase their capacities, it’s a positive thing for everyone.”