Several projects are underway in the Tomball area as well as Harris County. Check out some of the most recent updates.

FM 1488 widening
Project: This change consists of two separate projects that each feature part of the road being upgraded from two lanes to four, according to TxDOT. The first project runs from the Waller County line to FM 1774, while the second portion runs from FM 1774 to west of FM 149.
Update: The first portion is now 95% complete while the second portion is 70% complete, according to TxDOT.

Hwy. 242 widening
Project: This project is being widened as a divided highway between I-45 and FM 1488.
Update: This project is 95% complete, documents show.

Hufsmith-Kohrville Road segment 3A Widening
Project: This project will see this two-lane road widened to four lanes from north of Ezekiel Road to north of Boudreax Road.
Update: Harris County Precinct 3 officials said the project is ahead of schedule and could finish ahead of 2028.

Drivers in Magnolia should expect a temporary traffic change beginning Aug. 10 at Melton Street and Buddy Riley Boulevard as the city prepares for the start of the school year.

The details: According to an Aug. 7 notice from the city, traffic will be detoured to Acker Street and North Sixth Street. Drivers will not be able to make left or right turns onto Melton Street from Buddy Riley Boulevard while the detour is in place.

The temporary change is intended to improve traffic flow and safety ahead of the school year, which begins Aug. 12.

City officials are asking drivers to plan ahead, allow extra time for their commute and use caution while traveling through the area.

My Friend in RAL has recently begun offering services to support Montgomery County locals looking for residential assisted living in July. 

Two-minute impact: My Friend in RAL is owned and operated by local resident Pamela Clark. While the business was legally formed in February, the business recently started to offer its services in July.  The focal point of the business is to support families in the process of choosing a residential assisted living facility. 

“I provide complimentary placement and advisement services to North Houston area families; think of me as your friend in residential assisted living, right at your side to help you find safe, reputable, and well-suited living and care,” Clark said. 

Clark currently operates My Friend in RAL from her home. She has said a large reason for opening this service was due to her own experience of being an unexpected caregiver for her late father. 

• Opened in July

Biopharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb has selected Generation Park for its new $2.3 billion manufacturing campus, officials announced in an Aug. 10 news release. The project is expected to bring nearly 500 jobs to the Lake Houston area.

The big picture: The state-of-the-art 600,000-square-foot campus will enable BMS to manufacture multiple types of medicines, such as small molecules, biologics and antibody-drug conjugates. Per the release, the campus will be modular and multimodal to support long-term growth and allow the campus to evolve as needed.

The impact: Jobs created by the new campus will include operations technicians, production specialists, maintenance and engineering professionals, quality control and assurance experts, and site leadership and administration. Per the release, BMS also expects to create approximately 2,000 construction and other indirect jobs between 2027-30, while the facility is built.

Some context: Community Impact first reported BMS was considering Generation Park for a new manufacturing campus in May.