Development
BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN
A stretch of Hwy. 242 near I-45 is transforming, with new businesses opening in the area, residential developments underway and an infrastructure project on the horizon. Since 2023, over a dozen businesses have opened within a 1-mile radius of Hwy. 242, along with four residential developments underway in the area, according to prior reporting. “Our entire county is growing, and that corridor along [Hwy.] 242 is no di erent,” Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray said. “It’s a no brainer. It’s just an easy place to develop. … You’ve access to two major highways or interstates and all the great amenities right there.” While residents said access attracted them to the area, the rapid development has brought growing pains. “The congestion on [Hwy.] 242 was not near as bad as this. Now, I would say, it has just massively increased over the last nine months, and I really don’t know what the solution is at this time,” Evergreen resident Misty Caudillo said. Hwy. 242 a ected by developments
Hwy. 242 development 2023 openings 1 Sunrise Donuts 2 Freebirds World Burrito 3 AT&T 4 Jersey Mike’s Subs 5 Dunkin’ 6 Thrive Massage 7 Jeremiah’s Italian Ice 8 Whataburger
2024 openings 9 Pet Supplies Plus 10 Pincho Burgers and Kebabs 11 Pizza Twist 12 Dental Care of Woodloch 13 Tailgator’s Pub & Grill 14 Memorial Hermann- GoHealth Urgent Care 15 Next Level Urgent Care
2025 openings 16 Silver Spoons 17 Beans & Berries 18 Zuka Head Spa
Residential developments
THIS MAP IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE.
Evergreen by Shea Homes: 740 acres
Mavera by Pulte Development: 1,100 acres
242
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Artavia by Airia Development: 2,842 acres
Harper’s Preserve by Sam Yager Incorporated: 160 acres
5
7 15 16
1
8
12
242
14
2 6
3 4 9 10 11
17
45
18
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SOURCES: LOCAL BUSINESSES, SHEA HOMES, AIRIA DEVELOPMENT, SAM YAGER INCORPORATED, PULTE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IMPACT
How we got here
What they’re saying
Local population growth
77385 77302
45
Between 2018-2023, Montgomery County’s population grew 18%, from 554,445 to 654,722 residents, per the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Scott Harper, president of the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce, said the Hwy. 242 corridor is a hot spot given its location to The Woodlands and its direct access to I-45. “[Hwy.] 242 has always been busy, but it’s always been two lanes, and now they’re starting the expansion of that. As that happens, the growth is following from the neighborhoods to the retail side,” Harper said. “It’ll be bumper to bumper.” Last June, Montgomery County commissioners approved a $19.1 million agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation to build an east- bound yover connecting I-45 North to Hwy. 242. Gray said the project, expected to nish by 2028, aims to ease local tra c congestion. Gray is also proposing to complete the David Memorial Drive extension to Hwy. 242 and widen Old Houston Road from Hwy. 242 to FM 1314 should the coun- ty’s $480 million road bond pass May 3.
For residents living o Hwy. 242 in communities like Evergreen, they said the pace of development has become overwhelming. Matt Ramirez, in an interview with other residents who recently moved into the community, said commuting 3 miles in 30 minutes has become the new normal. Keith Luechtefeld, Houston division president for Shea Homes and developer of Evergreen, said the 740-acre development, currently home to about 200 houses, plans to accommodate 2,000 houses and is expected to be completed within the next six to eight years. “We wish they would address them earlier, rather than later, but we believe that the county and the state are both working to help improve tra c and reduce congestion in the area,” Luechtefeld said.
242
N
2018 2018 2023 2023
18,972
+4.3%
19,787
25,572
+5.2%
26,889
Between 2018-23, the annual average daily tra c on Hwy. 242 increased:
+12.8% +30.8% West of Donwick Drive West of Exxon Road
SOURCES: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU’S AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 5 YEAR ESTIMATES, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
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CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION
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