The Texas Department of Transportation revealed plans in May for the future widening of FM 518 between Hwy. 288 and Hwy. 35. The project is designed to ease traffic congestion and address safety concerns along the corridor.

Construction on the project is not expected to break ground for five years and will widen FM 518 from a four to a six-lane highway, TxDOT Public Information Officer Danny Perez said.

Once FM 518 is expanded, it is also projected to accommodate continued commercial and residential development along the corridor. Over the last 15 years, the city of Pearland has seen a surge in residential and commercial growth, especially along the FM 518 corridor.

As the city continues to grow, so does the demand for commercial and retail options, resulting in increased road congestion, said Matt Buchanan, Pearland Economic Development Corporation president.

“The more commercial activity you put along the corridor, the more traffic you are going to create,” Buchanan said. “I think [FM 518] is obviously not sustainable for the businesses along the corridor because congestion continues to build.”

However some business owners along FM 518 are concerned the widening will have a negative effect on their businesses by limiting the amount of customer traffic in and out of retail centers. Gates Used Cars owner Clint Oliphant said his biggest concern is maintaining access to his business during the construction period.

“It makes me very, very nervous what all of that is going to entail for me during construction,” Oliphant said. “It is very hard to do business when you are in the middle of construction.”

Project details

Although funding for the project has not been identified and TxDOT will be conducting environmental assessments until 2017, three right of way options along FM 518 were unveiled during a public meeting May 14. Right of way is a legal agreement that allows a government entity to use property for public use, such as transportation routes.

Each right of way option is geared to provide room for additional raised medians and turning lanes at major intersections to help ease road congestion during peak traffic hours, Perez said. The widening will also accommodate pedestrians and cyclists with sidewalks and shared lanes stretching the entire project. In addition the project will convert existing ditches into storm sewers, Perez said. Final design of the expansion will not be complete until after the environmental assessment has been conducted.

Skipper Jones, city of Pearland assistant director of capital projects, said additional turn lanes will help funnel traffic into the shopping centers and businesses by providing safer turning options.
“The reality is in cases where we have major intersections, there may need to be more lanes,” he said. “We have asked for additional lanes to be put in toward the Hwy. 288 end because that end of town is so congested, [and] there are a high number of accidents there.”

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The installation of additional medians would also help address the city’s safety concerns due to uncontrolled left-turn lanes leading into major retail and shopping centers, Jones said.

“There is a tendency for people to get into that left-turn lane way too early,” he said. “They just drive along [in the lane] and what they do not realize is other people are trying to do the same thing, or they want to turn into the driveway you are approaching. The only way to control [traffic] is to install those medians.”

Effect on businesses

Plans for the project call for between 15 to 70 feet of right of way acquisition on the north or south sides of the highway. This has raised some concern among business owners along FM 518 who fear losing portions of their property depending on which right of way route is approved.

Oliphant said the FM 518 widening could significantly reduce the display property used for his car lot. He said if TxDOT decides to acquire land on the south side of the corridor, he potentially would be forced to relocate his business.

“We do not have a lot of display room and what [TxDOT is] wanting to do is come in 25 feet, and it would wipe out our front line,” Oliphant said. “Frontage is very important in the car business. People drive by and do not see what is in the back; they see what is in the front.”

Oliphant said the construction would also deter residents from commuting down FM 518, resulting in a decreased number of potential customers. Because construction could force residents to find alternative routes, Oliphant said he is expecting to see smaller businesses along FM 518 close down as a result of decreased foot traffic into their shops.

Sandy Cavazos, owner of A-Better Plumbing, said she understands the expansion is needed to accommodate growth, but is concerned about the duration of construction. She said her business has multiple service trucks commuting to different projects and is worried construction would affect their ability to get in and out of the parking lot.

“I know it takes time to undertake these upgrades,” Cavazos said. “It concerns us, but we understand the need because of the growth Pearland has seen. I think with the right planning, hopefully, the state can help work with business.”

Concerns aside, Buchanan said the widening will lead to additional commercial development.

Perez said once the project is complete it will accommodate up to 45,600 vehicles per day, which is about twice the current average traffic count.

“It is a needed project for Pearland, and it will help us economically for many, many years to come once it is done,” Buchanan said. “Obviously in the short term there will be an inconvenience, and it will have an effect [on] the businesses along the corridor.”