Those projects include the continued construction of raised medians along FM 1488 from Mostyn Drive to I-45, and FM 1488 widenings west of and through Magnolia.
In addition, county projects further west in Precinct 2—funded by the 2025 road bond—are slated to take shape in 2026 to keep traffic circulating around the Magnolia area near FM 2978 and a portion of Kuykendahl Road further east.
The big picture
As several TxDOT projects move toward completion to improve mobility and safety on FM 1488 and Hwy. 242, another set of projects is beginning to take shape through Montgomery County bond funds.
TxDOT began work on a project to build raised medians along FM 1488 in 2023. The goal was to improve safety by reducing access points along about 9 miles of the state road. It was 87% complete in late November, said Leo Flores, public information officer for TxDOT Houston District’s West Harris/Montgomery area.
Crashes related to left-turn movements along the FM 1488 corridor were identified as an issue in a 2019 study, Flores told Community Impact.
“The raised medians included in this project are designed to address those safety concerns and help reduce these types of accidents,” he said.
Another TxDOT project underway that uses existing right of way on Hwy. 242 to widen lanes, add turn lanes and reduce congestion is slated to be completed early in the year. Additionally, two projects to widen FM 1488 west of and through Magnolia are progressing, per TxDOT information.
As these projects continue or wrap up, several other projects further west will begin under Montgomery County Precinct 2’s jurisdiction. Those projects will use some of the $480 million May road bond to improve mobility on roads feeding onto FM 1488 and FM 2978.
Note: Click the projects on the map below to see additional information about them.
Measuring the impact
Rob Eissler, executive director of the Westwood Magnolia Parkway Improvement District, which will manage maintenance of the landscaping on the new FM 1488 medians, said the improvements could help reduce speeds on the corridor.
“If there’s any detriment, you don’t have as many access points for the businesses,” he said.
WMPID uses a portion of a designated 1% from sales tax revenues within its boundaries to support infrastructure projects.
“We’re trying to help bring the tone down to make it ... less of a racetrack,” he said.
Kolton Coats, the general manager at The Adventure Begins, a comic book store on FM 1488, said he does not think the changes to the road will be a long-term issue.
“As the construction has moved further past our front door we are noticing less accidents outside the shop, and most of the initial issues ... have been adjusted to and accounted for,” Coats said.
The clearing phase for the Kuykendahl Road project is underway, according to Precinct 2’s website. After clearing, construction is expected to follow, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley said.
Precinct 2 will also complete the Woodtrace Boulevard extension—an east-west connector between Hwy. 249 to FM 2978. Riley said the first phase of the project—from FM 2978 to Dobbin-Hufsmith Road—is out for bid, with construction potentially being able to start in early 2026.
“We need more roads that go east and west in the county,” Eissler said.
The project’s second phase is from Dobbin-Hufsmith Road to Hwy. 249. Riley said that Phase 2 is a bit more complicated than Phase 1 due in part to the two railroad crossings along its route, and he added that the phase is still in design.
Editor Lizzy Spangler contributed to this story.
