A road project connecting Laud Howell Parkway through north McKinney is set to be completed as part of the development of Wildwood, a master-planned community by North Texas real estate developer Republic Property Group.

Work on the project phase that includes the road extension has begun, according to a Nov. 10 news release from the developer.

The gist: The roadway project will connect Laud Howell Parkway from Exit 43 of Central Expressway to Lake Forest Drive through north McKinney. The 3.8-mile stretch of roadway will be built by the developers as part of the first phase of development for Wildwood, formerly known as the Honeycreek development.

Diving in deeper: The roadway is expected to become a regionally thoroughfare and will provide access for the 1,800-acre Wildwood development, which will include residential, commercial and office uses throughout a mixed-use community.

🍔 Hopdoddy Burger Bar is now open in McKinney, a company representative confirmed.

On the menu: The eatery, located in McKinney’s West Grove development, serves a variety of burger choices including the Cadillac Wagyu, Tikka Masala and the Magic Shroom. Non-beef burgers such as Ahi Tuna and El Bandito, which features a patty made with black beans and corn, are available. Milkshake options include Midnight Mocha, Nutella Chocolate Pretzel and more.

Get involved: Hopdoddy will host a grand opening party from 3-5 p.m., Nov. 15, featuring a variety of activities.

📍8565 W. University Drive, Ste. 100, McKinney

🎈Balloons by J recently opened in McKinney, Business Owner Jeraldina Menjivar said.

What they offer: The store sells a variety of balloons including latex, foil and more. Customers can choose any balloons from the store to have them filled with helium.

🚧 The second phase of airport roadway construction is underway at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

The airport announced that new access into Terminal B started Oct. 20 with new right-hand exits from International Parkway, a new bridge to the terminal and associated roadway improvements.

The second phase of the construction will be right-hand access into Terminal A from International Parkway. Work is expected to stretch through the winter holiday travel period, according to a news release.

The specifics: Work on the roadway to Terminal B was completed two weeks ahead of schedule, and that allowed the work for Terminal A to start earlier. A full detour began Oct. 24.

All exits out of Terminal B will be directed to the south exit plaza, but travelers who need to return northbound can make a left-hand U-turn before the exit plaza, according to a news release.

A closer look: The first entrance into the parking garage at Terminal A is closed for the duration of Phase 2.

Every day for the past 25 years, at least one person has died in crashes on Texas roads. Texas officials and the families of some fatal crash victims commemorated the grim anniversary with a candlelight ceremony at the Texas Capitol on Nov. 7.

The impact: Jamie White said her 2-year-old daughter, Allie, was hit and killed by a distracted driver at Round Rock’s Old Settlers Park in September 2019.

“It only takes [a few] seconds… to kill somebody,” White said Nov. 7. “Can you imagine doing this, taking somebody's child from them, and living the rest of your life knowing that you caused that?”

Following Allie’s death, her parents launched Allie’s Way, a nonprofit aimed at ending distracted driving.

More details: TxDOT data shows that speed and impaired driving are involved in the majority of deadly crashes on Texas roads.

“These are not random events,” Texas Highway Patrol Chief Bryan Rippee said Nov. 7. “These are the results of making the wrong choices on our Texas highways."