First Street will close between Main Street and Church Street starting July 20, according to a town news release.

What's happening: The route will be completely closed to through traffic to allow for the installation of underground utilities, according to the project website.

Looking ahead: Crews are expected to finish this portion of the project and reopen the road by July 27, per the release.

Bliss Speech & Hearing Services is slated to open a new practice in Prosper next month, the company said in a July 13 news release.

Read all about it: The speech and language therapy clinic specializes in pediatric care for a wide range of conditions, including stuttering, apraxia and central auditory processing disorder.

• 2120 Prairie Drive, Ste. 602, Prosper

Check out five upcoming and ongoing transportation projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

This list is not comprehensive.

Upcoming projects

1. Laud Howell Parkway extension

Project: Construction will build two lanes of Laud Howell Parkway between Trinity Falls Parkway and Lake Forest Drive. Private development firm Republic Property Group is constructing Lanes 1 and 2 of the roadway, and the city will construct Lanes 3 and 4.

Update: McKinney City Council approved a design contract with LJA Engineering in June, and design is underway. Construction of Lanes 1 and 2 by Republic Property Group is already underway.

• Timeline: Design is expected to take about 12 months to complete. Construction of Lanes 3 and 4 is expected to begin in 2028.
• Cost: $18 million
• Funding source: city of McKinney, Federal Surface Transportation Block Grant funds

Grand Park is moving forward after 20 years of challenges and planning. 

The project is expected to be done in four phases with the first phase expected to be completed in October 2027 after breaking ground in April. 

The details: The first phase is called Civic Park and encompasses 58 acres of the over 1,000-acre park. Civic Park will include an amphitheater, shade structures and restrooms, an orchard, and Arrowhead Pond, which will cover about 3 acres. The other phases include areas called: Adventure Play, Sports Park, Nature Center, and Botanical Garden and Nature Area. Each phase brings with it a distinct personality and adventure, said Shannon Coates, assistant city manager and former director of Frisco Parks and Recreation. Coates was the director of Play Frisco when officials broke ground on the Grand Park project. 

Quote of note: “The return on that investment, not just on the quality of life, but ensuring that we’re a sustainable city for the next 50 to 100 years, is priceless,” former Mayor Jeff Cheney said.