Pearland to widen Bailey Road

The city of Pearland is widening the two-lane stretch of Bailey Road between Veterans Drive and Hwy. 35 to a four-lane boulevard to match the existing roadway cross-section to the east and west.

The project, which is completely funded by the city’s 2019 bond referendum, is expected to be completed in November 2025. On May 8, Pearland City Council voted to award a $13.6 million contract to R Construction Civil, the lowest bidder of all contractors who applied for the project. One of the biggest reasons city officials are expanding the road is to accommodate Pearland’s population increase, project manager Lap Trinh said. The population increase poses a serious challenge to the structural integrity of the road because the current layout was built to accommodate traffic in 2007, Trinh said.

Roadway traffic will not be affected by the project since the city is building only an additional two lanes in both directions, Trinh confirmed.

A portion of the project runs over Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad and will add a new above-grade crossing to the railroad and drainage improvements to address the road widening. Since the project’s first phase began in 2007, the city has been in talks with railroad officials who have reviewed and approved the city’s construction plans.

The agreement between city and railroad officials requires there be a certified railroad inspector on the job once construction starts, Trinh said. While the date to begin construction has not been set, Trinh said the plan will include excavation for road base and bridge supports, storm sewer installation, concrete paving for road surface, installation of bridge beams and bridge deck, sidewalk construction, landscape planting, pavement markings installation, and street lights installation. Trinh said he hoped a schedule would be available to share in August.

Trinh said one of the biggest benefits of the project will be ease of traffic flow for parents and students during the school year.

“It will greatly help once we finish the job since we have Pearland High School at the intersection of Hwy. 35 and Bailey, so that will help with traffic coming from the subdivision west of Bailey Road and Veterans [Drive],” Trinh said. “It will help ease up traffic during the school year.”