The City of Magnolia will host a town hall meeting on June 15 at city hall to prepare residents for the expansion of FM 1774.

“We are going to update and inform residents on the widening project of FM 1774,” Economic Development Coordinator Deborah Rose Miller said.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently announced that the expansion project will begin in August. The area to be widened is a 2-mile stretch beginning at about Friendship Drive, going over FM 1488, to about 10th Street. It will be widened from a two-lane roadway to a four-lane roadway with a center turn lane.

The City of Magnolia will also be in the process of moving its utility lines in July, which run along the area between the railroad tracks and FM 1774. FM 1774 will be widened toward the railroad tracks, which make moving the utility lines key.

Miller said the purpose of the meeting is to prepare business owners and residents about what to expect during the expansion phase. She said that those who attend will see the layout plans, new areas of parking and each stage of the project in order to know what to expect.

Miller added that layout plans had been provided when TxDOT first announced it would be expanding FM 1774 several years ago, but the information they intend to give to residents and business owners has since been updated.

TxDOT had predicted the project would not begin until 2014 due to a lack of funding; however, funding had been allocated through the Texas Transportation Commission moving the project to this year.

TxDOT said the expansion project will cost about $10 million. The city will enter into a $2 million loan agreement with the state in order to move the utility lines.

City Administrator Paul Mendes said TxDOT plans to spare the main lanes during the Texas Renaissance Festival season. The city also intends to provide a park and ride for guests and residents.

The city will have two town hall meetings on June 15, one at noon and another 6:30 p.m., in order to accommodate all of those who wish to attend, according to Miller. Mayor Todd Kana will be speaking. Each meeting is expected to last about 45 minutes.

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