Utility relocation work continues on SH 5 as part of the project’s first phase, with the second phase expected to start in 2027. Here are six updates on current or planned transportation projects in McKinney.

1. Spur 399 utility relocations: The city of McKinney’s water and wastewater utilities will be relocated in advance of TxDOT’s upcoming reconstruction project along Spur 399.

Update: Design is 95% complete. Easement acquisition is underway and construction is expected to begin in early 2027 with a six- to eight-month duration.

2. Venu Sunset Amphitheater capacity improvement projects: Construction of various off-site improvements is intended to increase intersection capacity at multiple locations surrounding the planned event venue.

Update: The construction contract has been awarded and work is expected to begin in September 2026.

The McKinney location of El Fenix Mexican Restaurant is temporarily closed for repairs, signage at the location states.

The update: The closure was ordered due to “evidence of structural and electrical safety violations that may jeopardize public safety,” an official order from McKinney Fire Marshal Brian M. Roach states.

The context: El Fenix Mexican Restaurant serves Tex-Mex cuisine and has other locations throughout North Texas including in Dallas, Mesquite and Plano.

• 3450 S. Central Expressway, McKinney

Texas does not have a single system to connect first responders in emergencies, meaning local and state agencies often operate on a network of radio systems that are not always compatible with one another.

The big picture: State leaders said there are more than 50 different radio systems used by first responder agencies across Texas.

"We have situations where counties and cities are on separate ones, and they never know it until they have to [communicate with] each other," state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, said during a Sept. 14 legislative hearing.

Looking ahead: King has vowed to pass a bill to integrate first responder communications under a statewide system during the 2027 legislative session, with some emergency management experts calling interagency communications "the No. 1 issue" in the aftermath of disasters.

"[This] is not simply a communication issue—it's a responder safety issue and an operational effectiveness issue," said Kyle Mills, head of planning and preparedness for the Texas A&M Forest Service.