By Andy Yanez with Community Impact
There could soon be changes to the original federally approved design to widen FM 518, better known as Broadway Street, in Pearland.
The Texas Department of Transportation from April 26-May 13 collected public input on a proposed change to the Broadway Street widening project from Cullen Parkway to Hwy. 35 in Pearland. TxDOT aims to make a decision based on the public input by the summer and begin a detailed design for the project toward the end of the year.
“The project is needed because current and projected growth in the area has caused traffic demand to increase,” said Daisy Orona, bilingual communication specialist for Stantec, a design and consulting company working with TxDOT on the project.
The original design included widening Broadway Street from four to six lanes between Hwy. 288 and Hwy. 35. The project is going to be broken down in two phases: Hwy. 288 to Cullen Parkway for Phase 1, which is set to begin construction in 2025 and cost $88 million, and Cullen Parkway to Hwy. 35 for Phase 2.
The changes to Phase 2 include acquiring less right of way for the expansion, constructing three 11-foot-wide lanes on each side of the thoroughfare, and creating sidewalks on the north and south sides of Broadway Street.
TxDOT originally planned to acquire more right of way and build two 12-foot lanes and one 15-foot shared lane for cars and bicycles on each side of Broadway.
“Based on public comments and discussions with the city of Pearland, TxDOT decided to revisit the design for … FM 518,” Orona said.
While the proposed changes to Phase 2 of the Broadway Street expansion are projected to affect fewer parcels in the city, it could potentially displace more properties because of the addition of the pedestrian path that was originally planned to be a shared lane with cars, Orona said. TxDOT will offer financial assistance to residences and businesses displaced due to federal law.
The estimated construction cost for Phase 2 of the project is $44 million, Orona said. A timeline for construction has yet to be set.
Hwy. 6 reconstruction
The Texas Department of Transportation is overseeing the construction of an asphalt concrete pavement overlay and installation of traffic signals, signings and pavement markings from CR 99 to Second Street, also known as Brazos Street, in Alvin, TxDOT Public Information Officer Danny Perez said. The work was needed to repair the road and improve the pavement’s lifespan and ride quality, he added.
Timeline: September 2021-August 2022
Cost: $5.3 million
Funding source: state funds
Article featured at https://communityimpact.com/houston/pearland-friendswood/transportation/2022/06/06/txdot-considering-changes-to-broadway-street-widening-project/
Photo: (Courtesy Fotolia)/Community Impact
