Transportation updates[/caption]1. Industrial Drive improvement
A construction bid has been awarded for a project which will align the east and west corridors of Industrial Drive at the Hwy. 35 intersection, according to city officials. Currently, there is a 110-degree offset between the two roads. The project will include the removal of existing pavement and constructing asphalt pavement in the new alignment. The project will be completed in conjunction with a plan from the Texas Department of Transportation to install a center turn lane once current construction is completed. TxDOT will also perform a traffic signal warrant study to explore the possibility of adding a traffic light to the intersection, according to officials.
Timeline: September 2016- May 2017
Cost: $750,000
Funding sources: city of Pearland, TxDOT
FM 518 overlay project[/caption]2. FM 518 Overlay project
Work began Aug. 29 on FM 518 from Hwy. 288 to San Antonio Avenue in Pearland. The project is multistep; crews will mil the old surface, then repair deficiencies in the concrete layer, according to TxDOT officials. A seal coat will then be used to protect against water damage to extend the life of the surface. Finally, the asphalt layer will complete the project. Work will be completed between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays, with no work occurring on Fridays and Saturdays, according to officials. The project bid was awarded to Durwood Greene Construction in July.
Timeline: October 2016-October 2017
Cost: $4 million
Funding sources: Houston-Galveston Area Council, city of Pearland
3. Friendswood Link widening
The expansion of Friendswood Link Road from FM 518 to Blackhawk Boulevard was completed in September, officials said. City Council accepted completion of the project in September. The project provides an improved emergency evacuation route out of the city and received funding from a Texas General Land Office disaster recovery grant in the wake of Hurricane Ike in 2008. Friendswood Link widened from two to three lanes from FM 518 to Hibiscus Lane. From Hibiscus Lane to Blackhawk Boulevard, the road expanded from two to four lanes with medians.
Timeline: fall 2014-September 2016
Cost: $4 million
Funding sources: Houston-Galveston Area Council, city of Pearland
