The Texas Department of Transportation plans to finish construction on the Hwy. 288 frontage road in December.

Located in Pearland, the frontage road will run alongside Hwy. 288 from Magnolia Parkway to Broadway Street. The project also includes switching the entrance ramp form Magnolia Parkway to an exit ramp and switching the exit ramp at Broadway Street to an entrance ramp.

The project will ease congestion and will also be safer for drivers, public information officer Danny Perez said.

“We look at opportunities for ramp reversals. We don’t do them all the time, but we do when we see safety benefits,” Perez said.

Construction on the project will cost roughly $6.5 million and is paid for by the city of Pearland. The project is a collaboration between the city of Pearland and TxDOT, Perez said.

“This was a partnership and collaboration with the city. Any time we can do that kind of partnership, it’s beneficial,” he said.

The frontage road will provide easier access into the shopping centers near Magnolia and Broadway, Perez said. The road will alleviate some of the traffic on Broadway, as drivers will not have to be on Broadway to get on to Hwy. 288, Perez said.

While it is a small project, Perez stressed the importance of projects like the frontage road, particularly for areas experiencing a lot of growth.

“We can widen roads and freeways, but these secondary roads really improve mobility,” he said.

The road will allow more mobility and ease into shopping centers in Pearland as the Hwy. 288 corridor continues to grow, Perez said. The Pearland area continues to grow, as do cities south of Pearland along Hwy. 288, including Manvel, Iowa Colony and Rosharon.

“The growth isn’t stopping,” Perez said.