There are several transportation updates around the Tomball and Magnolia area. Check them out below. This list is not comprehensive.

FM 1488 widening west of Magnolia
Project: FM 1488 is being widened from two to four lanes with a continuous left-turn lane between the Waller County line and FM 1774 west of Magnolia.
Update: This project is 98% completed, according to the Texas Department of Transportation’s March 10 media update.

• Timeline: November 2020-second quarter 2026
• Cost: $35.35 million
• Funding source: state funds

• Timeline: June 2022-third quarter 2027
• Cost: $48.28 million
• Funding source: state funds

Americas Best Value Inn & Suites is now open along the Grand Parkway, according to a March 2 news release.

The gist: The hotel features 46 rooms, and joins nearly 500 Americas Best Value Inn & Suites locations across the U.S.

• 9110 N. Grand Parkway W., Tomball

Montgomery County Commissioners Court is set to meet April 9 to consider several countywide items, including the fiscal year 2026-27 budget calendar, a financial report tied to the 2025 road bond program and a discussion on the state of the Montgomery County Jail, according to the agenda. 

What you need to know: Commissioners will consider and potentially take action on the county’s FY 2027 budget calendar. Another agenda item calls for discussion on the state of the Montgomery County Jail and related matters. The item comes after county officials said in July that the jail was operating at 97.9% capacity, with 1,289 inmates housed in a 1,317-bed facility, as previously reported.

At the time, officials said the county had repurposed available space inside the jail, faced rising maintenance costs and was spending more than $1 million annually to house some inmates in Waller County. Officials also said the county would need more than 2,350 beds by 2040 based on population growth.

Funding for Texas’ education savings account program is expected to dry up before it reaches all low-income applicants, the state comptroller’s office announced April 2.

The overview: More than a quarter of a million students applied for the first year of Texas Education Freedom Accounts, which will give participating families access to state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

The details: Most eligible students will be placed on a waitlist for the 2026-27 school year, as the $1 billion program is expected to serve between 90,000 and 100,000 students. State officials said all funds are expected to go to students with disabilities, their siblings and children from low-income families.

The state will use a four-tier, randomized lottery system to determine who is accepted. Once funding runs out, the remaining students will be placed on a waitlist.

How it works: Students with disabilities can receive up to $30,000 each in ESA funding, depending on their individual needs. Other accepted students will receive $10,474 for private education or $2,000 for homeschooling.