For years, League City has had plans to extend Landing Boulevard where it intersects with FM 518 west of I-45. When constructed, North Landing will go north from the intersection over Clear Creek before turning east at a roundabout to intersect with I-45 in Webster.
League City will pay about $28.1 million of the approximately $65 million project. The Texas Department of Transportation is paying about $31.3 million of the project, and Webster is paying
$5.6 million.
“They’ve always said they’d pay their pro-rata share,” said League City City Manager John Baumgartner, who noted Webster years ago indicated it would pay for the east-west portion of the extended road.
Agreeing to pay for a portion of the road, Webster officials asked League City if the two cities could alter their boundaries a bit. Webster leaders want the entirety of the east-west road within its city limits, Baumgartner said.
“They want a boundary adjustment to put all that road in their community,” he said. “We as cities try to create logical boundaries, [and Webster’s request] made sense to us.”
Project Management Director Angie Steelman said the deal makes sense to ensure the project is fully completed.
“We didn’t want to build a road to nowhere,” she said.
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There is an Exxon gas station within League City that will end up in Webster’s city limits after the land swap is finalized. League City officials said it makes sense to allow the gas station to become a part of Webster.
“The gas station in League City and everything else [around it] in Webster didn’t quite make sense to us,” Baumgartner said.
League City City Council in mid-April had an agenda item to approve the land swap. It was tabled at city staff’s request to allow Webster to get some things in order. It has not yet gone before City Council again.
The project will alleviate congestion in League City by giving motorists another north-south road to reach I-45. FM 518 between Landing and I-45 is regularly congested, but if North Landing can alleviate even 25% of the tens of thousands of vehicles that travel FM 518 daily, it will make a significant impact, Baumgartner said.
The extension will require building a bridge over Clear Creek. Additionally, the road will be near residences, a petroleum pipeline, a power line corridor and other challenges.
“It’s a difficult web to weave it through,” Baumgartner said.
Construction could begin as early as the second half of 2022, Baumgartner said.
“The community’s been patient,” he said. “We’re all ready for some change out there on 518.”
