The details
On Nov. 18, Pearland City Council voted unanimously to award a $6.6 million contract to Houston-based Texas Sterling Construction for the road’s expansion, which is part of the city’s thoroughfare plan approved in 2018.
The project will replace the 3,250 foot stretch of road from a two-lane asphalt roadway to a four-lane concrete curb and gutter-divided roadway with raised medians, including storm sewers, sidewalks and landscaping, according to city documents.
Additionally, 5,715 feet of fiber optic cable will be installed from FM 518 to the West Pearland Community Center.
Quote of note
“[This project is] much needed, much overdue,” Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole said at the meeting. “This is a product of going through the federal system, which is cumbersome. It takes a long time, but you and I locally don’t pay near what we would pay for if we did this alone.”
The details
Community Impact previously reported that the project would begin its bid phase in September 2023 with construction beginning in early 2024, but city manager Trent Epperson said the project’s progress lagged due to the time it takes to coordinate with the various federal and state sources for of funding the project and the land acquisition for the project.
In July 2013, the Houston–Galveston Area Council designated that the city would fund 20% of the project costs while the remaining 80% would be sourced from federal and state funds, including The Federal Surface Transportation Program–Metropolitan Mobility and Texas Mobility Fund, which exist to advance transportation projects in urban areas and across the state.
About the project
In October 2016, the city authorized Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation, which was acquired by Gannett Fleming in March 2024, to prepare a construction plan for the widening project, which was completed and approved by the city in December 2023, according to city documents.
Looking ahead
The construction is slated to begin in December and take a year to build out, according to city documents.
