Here’s the latest on five ongoing and upcoming transportation projects in Plano, according to the city’s community investment program.

This list is not comprehensive.

1. Preston Road and McDermott Road lighting

Project: The city is placing street lights along Preston Road from Hedgcoxe Road to SH 121 and along McDermott Road from Preston to the Sam’s Club.

Update: Senior Traffic Engineer Chad Ostrander said the city is waiting to complete the electrical service process and for ONCOR to install poles along McDermott.

• Timeline: February 2026-TBD

• Cost: $517,346

• Funding: city of Plano

2. Screening wall replacements 

Project: The city is reconstructing, removing and replacing 4,250 linear feet of screening wall and sidewalks in the Oak Brook Estates and The Hills at Preston neighborhoods. 

Update: CIP Engineering Manager Clay Lipscomb said walls along Marsh Lane and the southwest corner of Midway Road and Parker Road have been completed. He said the contractor should finish the final sidewalk and landscaping restoration in November.

• Timeline: September 2025-November 2026

• Cost: $3.37 million

• Funding: city of Plano

A bookstore, 2nd & Charles, plans to open a new store in Plano before the end of the year.

What they offer: In addition to used books, the store buys, sells and trades video games, consoles, movies, CDs and toys and collectibles. Scott Kappler, 2nd & Charles’ executive vice president of operations, said items can be sold and traded for cash or store credit.

In their words: “That trade model keeps prices affordable, gives great items a second life and creates a store that feels different every time you walk in,” Kappler said in an email. “It’s a place for readers, gamers, collectors and families to spend an afternoon.”

Also of note: The new 25,000-square-foot store will be the first 2nd & Charles in North Texas. It is expected to create 30 jobs, Kappler said.

• 1601 Preston Road, Ste. H, Plano

Educators, public officials and graduates from across the state gathered in Austin on Oct. 27 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Western Governors University in Texas. The online university offers certificates, bachelor's and master's degrees, which students can complete at their own pace.

About the organization: WGU was founded in 1997 by a bipartisan group of 19 governors in Western states to provide a more affordable and flexible option for higher education. In 2011, then-Gov. Rick Perry signed an executive order making Texas an official WGU affiliate.

Since 2011, WGU in Texas has reached the following milestones:

• 38,691 total graduates

• 45,545 degrees earned

• 24,087 students currently enrolled

Quote of note: "It was definitely one of those options that was super flexible, so that kind of fit my current schedule, especially since I work full-time," 2026 WGU graduate Jacob Gomez said. "It was super convenient for me."

Prosper approved a $2 billion Venetian village on the Dallas North Tollway, while Indian grocery store and food court Spices of India eyes a 2027 opening in McKinney. Check out six trending stories from Community Impact’s Dallas-Fort Worth coverage areas.

1. Prosper greenlights $2B Venetian village on Dallas North Tollway

2. Spices of India grocery store, food court slated for 2027 opening in McKinney

3. Little Dutch opens with contemporary Italian concept in Grapevine

4. More than 214K ballots cast in Collin County during first week of early voting

5. Vaaraahi - Biryanis & Beyond offers Indian cuisine in Frisco

6. Q&A: Meet the candidates running for Keller ISD, Place 5