1. Bailey Road expansion
The Bailey Road project in Pearland will widen the thoroughfare from two to four lanes between FM 1128 and Veterans Drive. The project, which is expected to ease east-west traffic congestion, will also include raised medians and a 10-foot pedestrian walkway on the north side of Bailey Road. The Houston-Galveston Area Council awarded funding for the project as part of its 2013 transportation improvement plan. Timeline: October 2015-September 2017
2. Fite Road extension
The project will extend Fite Road by half a mile from McLean Road to Veterans Drive in Pearland in an effort to improve traffic flow and provide an
additional route for emergency vehicles. The
project was approved by the City Council in October after being delayed in the summer, and construction began in December. The new stretch of roadway will be four lanes with concrete curbs and gutter drainage. The project includes traffic signal improvements at the McLean Road intersection.
Timeline: December 2016-December 2017
3. Orange Street reconstruction
The project calls for reconstruction of the existing asphalt, along with concrete curb and gutters, sidewalks and a new storm sewer system between Hwy. 35 and Schleider Drive in Pearland. The designs also widen East Orange Street, expanding the road from 25 to 33 feet. Timeline: May 2017-May 2018
4. Max Road expansion
The project will expand Max Road in Pearland to a four-lane boulevard with concrete curbs and gutters. Other improvements include storm sewers, outfalls and detention, a traffic signal and a 10-foot shared-use path. Design engineering was completed in November, and construction bids will go out in March. Timeline: June 2017-September 2018
5. Blackhawk Boulevard reconstruction
Friendswood City Council approved a design engineering and feasibility contract for the reconstruction of Blackhawk Boulevard in December. The proposed reconstruction on Blackhawk Boulevard extends from FM 2351 to Friendswood Link Road. No new lanes will be added. The 50-year-old road is a major thoroughfare and point of entry into the city. Timeline: TBA
6. Old Alvin Road widening
The widening project extends from Plum Street to McHard Road in Pearland and will expand the existing two-lane asphalt roadway to four lanes with concrete curbs, gutter pavement, a sidewalk and a storm system. Plans for Old Alvin Road were approved as part of the 2007 bond referendum. Timeline: September 2017-September 2018
Regional projects
Brazoria County Expressway Brazoria County officials approved an engineering design contract, a feasibility study and related services in November for the Hwy. 288 toll lanes project, dubbed by officials as the Brazoria County Expressway. The county plans to install toll lanes down the center of Hwy. 288 from CR 58 to the Harris-Brazoria county line at Clear Creek. Construction is expected to begin in April. The entire toll lane project is expected to extend to Hwy. 59 with off-ramps at the Texas Medical Center. Construction began in early November on the Harris County portion of the project, according to officials from the contracting firm Blueridge Transportation Group. BTG will develop the toll lanes from Hwy. 59 to the Brazoria County line. Timeline: November 2016-mid-2019
