There are several transportation projects taking place around the Conroe and Montgomery area in early 2026. Check out updates to them below. This list is not comprehensive.

South Loop 336 widening
Project: Between I-45 and Ladera Creek Trace, South Loop 336 is being widened from two to four lanes with a continuous left-turn lane.
Update: This project is 58% completed, according to a Jan. 7 media update.

• Timeline: November 2024-third quarter 2027
• Cost: $20.57 million
• Funding source: state funds

• Timeline: second quarter 2025-third quarter 2028
• Cost: $42.63 million
• Funding source: federal, state funds

Per a Jan. 7 news release, HTeaO opened a new location in Conroe, located near shopping centers, busy roadways and schools like Conroe High School on Jan. 10.

The details: Owned by Alicia Magaña, Armando Magaña, Samuel Morales and Veronica Morales, the new Conroe location offers a range of tea, water, and coffee products and caters to customers both in-store and through drive-thru services, per the release.

Quote of note: “Opening our first HTeaO here feels special because this part of Conroe is full of shared experiences,” Alicia Magaña said. “There’s a real sense of pride in this community, and we’re excited to welcome people into a space that feels easy, comfortable, and naturally part of their day.”

• 2450 N. Loop 336 W., Conroe

Schools, government buildings and some polling places will remain closed on Jan. 26 as Winter Storm Fern had a late arrival to the Greater Houston area Jan. 24.

Current situation: According to the National Weather Service, the Greater Houston area can expect continued temperatures below freezing into Jan. 27. Per information on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ Grid and Market Conditions dashboard, power supply continues to outweigh demand.

Government closures: Meeting plans Jan. 26 for Roman Forest City Council and Fort Bend ISD have been postponed. Meanwhile, it is still unclear if Katy City Council's Jan. 26 meeting will take place as planned. 

Additionally, all early voting centers for the special runoff election for Congressional District 18 closed Jan. 25-26 due to inclement weather. 

Additional warming centers: More warming centers have opened across the Greater Houston area, in addition to the 13 warming centers that were announced in Harris County Jan. 22. All warming centers will be open through at least Jan. 26; however, residents are encouraged to call ahead if possible.

On March 3, voters in the primary election will decide who will be the Democratic candidate in the race for U.S. House District 8 in November. Two candidates are running, and Republican incumbent Morgan Luttrell is not seeking reelection.

The details: Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

On March 3, voters in the primary election will decide who will be the Republican candidate in the race for U.S. House District 8 in November. Six candidates are running, and Republican incumbent Morgan Luttrell is not seeking reelection.

The details: Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

Need to catch up on Community Impact’s coverage from this week? Check out five trending stories in the Greater Houston area from Jan. 19-23.

In a nutshell: Montgomery County commissioners took a step toward a new countywide transportation roadmap Jan. 15, discussing a mobility study they said will be the first to outline a 10-year plan for the entire county. 

County Judge Mark Keough said the project will kick off in January and is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete. Once finished, he said the county plans to initiate a county thoroughfare plan update.

What else: The project to extend the Grand Parkway through League City has made progress after the city recently sold a 1.8-acre highway easement to the Texas Department of Transportation.

League City City Council voted unanimously to transfer the highway easement, also known as Parcel 315, to TxDOT for a sum of nearly $319,000, according to city documents.

One more thing: The Hallmark, a luxury senior living community, is expanding its campus in Greater Uptown by 2030. 

A set of permanent regulations for thousands of Texas businesses selling consumable hemp products took effect Jan. 21, after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission adopted them one day earlier.

The overview: The latest hemp rules do not bring significant changes to the roughly 60,000 businesses under TABC oversight. They replace similar emergency rules adopted Sept. 23, prohibiting Texas alcohol retailers from selling hemp-derived THC products to customers under 21 years old.

“The key you heard today… is the effect of THC on younger folks' development—much like alcohol, the same reasons we regulate alcohol for those 21 years old [and up],” TABC chair Robert Eckels said.

Zooming in: The TABC has limited jurisdiction over the consumable hemp industry and can only require age limits and ID checks, agency leaders said. State health officials are considering more comprehensive regulations on the industry.

“The Department of State Health Services’ rules are going to be much more robust,” TABC general counsel James Person said Jan. 20. “They actually cover the products themselves: the [THC] content, the testing and whatnot."