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Pearland Parkway extension[/caption]
1. Pearland Parkway extension The newest extension of Pearland Parkway will soon be open to traffic. The segment—which stretches from 4,500 feet east of Oiler Drive to Dixie Farm Road—is expected to open in early August after inclement weather delayed the project by about four months. The extension, part of a larger plan to eventually connect the thoroughfare to League City Parkway, will be four lanes of concrete curb-and-gutter roadway with raised medians. A bridge crossing at Cowart’s Creek was also constructed as part of the project. Traffic signals at Oiler Drive and Dixie Farm Road are awaiting power and testing, and are about 90 percent complete. Timeline: March 2014-August 2015 Cost: $9.5 million Funding sources: city of Pearland, Texas Department of Transportation
2. El Dorado Boulevard reconstruction TxDOT closed the El Dorado Boulevard overpass at I-45 South on July 10 as part of its interstate widening project. The overpass will be demolished and depressed. Upon completion of the project, motorists on I-45 will travel over the El Dorado intersection as opposed to under it. Traffic on El Dorado Boulevard will be detoured onto I-45 frontage roads until late November, officials said. The ultimate project—designed to improve mobility and safety—will widen I-45 South to 10 main lanes and six frontage roads from FM 2351 to Medical Center Boulevard. Timeline: December 2012-second quarter 2017 Cost: $93 million Funding sources: TxDOT
3. CR 48 widening Construction on the TxDOT project widening CR 48 in Pearland began in early July. Nearly 2 miles of the thoroughfare will be expanded from two lanes to four lanes from FM 518 to CR 894. The roadway will include 10-foot shoulders upon completion. Webber LLC was awarded the construction bid for the project. Timeline: July 2015-late 2016 Cost: $12.2 million Funding sources: TxDOT
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Friendswood Link Road widening[/caption]
4. Friendswood Link Road widening The city of Friendswood continues construction on the Friendswood Link Road widening project is ongoing. The project—which received a Texas General Land Office disaster recovery grant—will expand the roadway from FM 518 to Blackhawk Boulevard. FM 518 to Hibiscus Lane, the portion of the project in Galveston County, will widen from two to three lanes with a dedicated turn lane, new sidewalks and improved drainage. The Harris County segment, which runs from Hibiscus Lane to Blackhawk Boulevard, will widen from two to four lanes with medians, new sidewalks and improved drainage. The project is about 54 percent complete. Timeline: fall 2014-winter 2015 Cost: $5.3 million Funding sources: city of Friendswood, Texas General Land Office grant
