Pearland plans to open the bidding process in August for construction of the long-awaited 3.5-mile extension of McHard Road from Mykawa Road to Cullen Parkway, with work anticipated to start in January 2020.
City Council has approved 42 of the 77 total parcels of property needed for the right of way, with the remaining parcels to be acquired by May 2019, city Director of Engineering Robert Upton said. Once the land acquisition phase is complete, final plans, including a wetlands mitigation proposal, will be sent to the Texas Department of Transportation for final review, he said.
The project, in the works since 2014, faced a 20-month delay when the impact on wetlands could not be determined by Galveston County officials, who then asked the Environmental Protection Agency to intervene. The EPA ruled that the road will affect 4.5 acres, which the city is now asking to mitigate by creating new wetlands.
City leaders are hoping the project will provide relief to Broadway Street, the city’s largest east-west thoroughfare that is in line for a potential widening project in 2023. The new McHard segment is projected to carry between 19,000 and 23,000 cars per day, according to city documents.
The anticipated construction timeline is two years with an estimated cost of $33.63 million.
Other ongoing projects in 2019
The $6 million beautification effort along
Hwy. 35 in Pearland is set to wrap up by the end of the summer. The highway will feature Pearland branding, updated crosswalks and landscaping.
August 2018 - August 2019
The widening of
Old Alvin Road from Town Ditch to McHard Road in Pearland is on track to be complete by February. This is the second phase of a two-phase widening effort.
January 2018 - February 2019
The expansion of
Max Road from Hughes Ranch Road to Reid Boulevard in Pearland is on track to be complete by February. The widening project includes a new bridge and a multiuse path.
January 2018 - February 2019
Construction on
Blackhawk Boulevard will be complete in 2019. The $4.58 million project includes improvements from Friendswood Link Road to Edenvale Street and new sidewalks.
June 2018 - July 2019
Work is expected to begin in early 2019 to widen
Hughes Ranch Road from Cullen Boulevard to Smith Ranch Road in Pearland. The project includes new signals and a concrete noise barrier.
February 2019 - August 2020
Construction on a new
Hwy. 288 northbound frontage road between CR 59 and Broadway Street could begin as early as August. The $8.44 million project is a joint effort by the Pearland Economic Development Corp., the city of Pearland and Brazoria County.
August 2019 - September 2020
