The Texas Department of Transportation proposed its recommended route for the Hwy. 249 Extension, which will span from FM 1774 in Pinehurst to FM 1774 in Todd Mission, Oct. 3 at an open house.

The new recommended route by TxDOT is a hybrid alignment that was created as a result of public input throughout the environmental study process, according to Raquelle Lewis, public information officer for TxDOT. The road project is still in the environmental process and TxDOT will continue to solicit public input through the end of the year and into next.

The remaining steps in the process include continuing to refine the layout of the recommended alternative, drafting an environmental impact study and conducting a public hearing to present the preferred alternative in spring 2014, Lewis said. After the final public hearing, which will be recorded and documented, TxDOT will finalize its environmental impact study and submit it to the Federal Highway Administration for approval.

"Our hope is that everything will be submitted for review and that we will be granted approval through that process," Lewis said.

After the FHA has approved the recommended route, TxDOT will begin negotiations to obtain right of way to construct the road. Right of way is a legal agreement that allows one entity to use another's property for public use.

"We have got the concurrence of most of the landowners across Montgomery County, so it should make it real easy to get right of way," said Paul Mendes, city administrator for Magnolia. "Getting the right of way is one of the most difficult projects."

The purpose of the proposed road, according to TxDOT, is to efficiently link the suburban communities and major roadways, respond to economic growth in Montgomery and Grimes counties, as well as enhance mobility and safety in the region.

"Magnolia is about 1,400 people in population, but within seven miles we've got 138,000 people," Mendes said. "You think about their ability to get around, the roads just do not support it. By putting 249 in it will open up areas that had not been able to be developed before."

Other benefits of the 249 Extension to Magnolia are that it will clear local roads from traffic and move high-speed traffic around the city, Mendes said. The roads in Magnolia often get clogged with traffic from people passing through town and this road will provide them with another, quicker option, he said.

"It will be useful to Magnolia because people travelling to Bryan, College Station or Navasota will take the high-speed road to get around us," Mendes said. "It will leave our roads open for local business, for the people that live in the area to make use of it."