We’re counting down the top ten stories residents of The Woodlands area should follow in 2018. No. 8 on our list examines The Texas Department of Transportation's planning and environmental linkage study on I-45:

What we reported

The Texas Department of Transportation is planning an environmental linkage study along I-45 from Beltway 8 to Loop 336 in Conroe, which could take up to three years to complete. The road interchange is severely overcapacity, which must be addressed by TxDOT and Montgomery County with short- and long-term solutions, according to the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s South Montgomery County Mobility Study, completed in September 2015.

The latest

Phase 1 of the study, which includes data collection, analyzing existing conditions and determining corridor needs, will end by mid-2018.

What’s next

Phase 2 of the study will start in fall 2018 and end in summer 2020. Officials said it will include developing and screening conceptual ideas and alternatives that support the corridor vision as well as presenting the study’s findings.