Several capital improvement projects in Friendswood are making progress, including efforts to improve connectivity and update the city’s water infrastructure.
What happened
Friendswood City Council recently heard a presentation from Friendswood’s Engineering Director Jil Arias about several capital improvement projects ongoing in the city at its April 6 meeting.
The details
The projects, which total a $23 million infrastructure investment, will be funded by a variety of sources, including bonds, sales tax and Federal Emergency Management Agency and American Rescue Plan Act grants, and include:
- 24” Water Line Phase II Project: Will extend from FM 518 to Friendswood High School’s natatorium to connect Surface Water Plant No. 2 and Elevated Storage Tank No. 1 to enhance distribution and capacity. Construction will begin in early 2027 and is expected to cost $8.7 million.
- Blackhawk Boulevard Phase II-C: Reconstruction of the remaining segments of Blackhawk Boulevard, from Pennystone Way to FM 2351 and Thursa Lane to FM 528. The city received bid proposals in March, and City Council will vote on whether to award a contract in May. Construction is estimated to cost $9 million.
- Lift Station No. 2 Rehabilitation: Upgrade the lift station at the Friendswood Public Works facility, which conveys most of the city’s wastewater. The city received bid proposals in March and will likely award a contract in May. Construction is estimated to cost $4 million.
- Surface Water Plant No. 1 Tank Project: The city’s surface water plant is getting a newly constructed 750,000-gallon concrete water tank and a building expansion, moving now into the coating, piping and pump room upgrade phase. Construction is estimated to be completed by October.
- Friendswood Active Transportation Plan: Led by the Houston-Galveston Area Council, this plan will guide a phased implementation strategy for safe walking and biking and increased connectivity.
- Friendswood Parkway-Pearland Parkway: Will improve east-west connectivity and increase traffic capacity. The Texas Department of Transportation is currently reviewing a funding agreement for this project.
- Lift Station Mitigation Packages: Lift Stations No. 1, 4 and 17 will undergo system hardening and elevation of electrical equipment above Hurricane Harvey flood levels. The $1.3 million project is funded by a FEMA grant.
