Explained
Construction along FM 518, which will be broken up into work on both the east and west sides of the road in Pearland, are in the design phases, said Danny Perez, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation.
As of May, the design phase for the project for the east side of FM 518, which will cover a 3-mile stretch from east of Freedom Road to the east of Halbert Road, is 60% complete and is likely to be bid out toward the beginning of 2027, Perez said.
Meanwhile, the west side of FM 518, which will cover a roughly 2.4-mile stretch from Hwy. 288 to east of FM 865, is further along, with the design phase expected to be at 90% by August and done by March next year, Perez said. TxDOT officials expect to bid out that project by June 2026.
The context
Perez said the project has not seen an official delay and described the timeline as “fluid.” When getting set to do projects like this, things such as utility lines and obtaining the right of way can take quite a while, he said.
This is compounded by the fact that the companies that own the utility lines in a particular area often move at their own pace in terms of relocating or clearing them, Perez said.
As a result, it can take a while for projects like this to be carried out and bidded even after the design phases are completed.
Diving in deeper
The work proposed will be a widening and reconstruction of a roughly 5.5-mile stretch of road along FM 518, according to the city of Pearland’s website.
Along with that, work on a raised median and turning an open ditch drainage system into a curb-and-gutter drainage system are planned, according to TxDOT’s website.
The work and total cost, which is expected to be $65 million for the western segment and $62 million for the eastern segment, will be covered by an 80% and 20% split of federal and state funding, Perez said.
