Transportation
BY RACHEL LELAND & JAMES T. NORMAN
Friendswood continues work along Blackhawk Boulevard Some of the recent work completed includes making various residential driveways in the area usable again, city staff said April 7. Phase II-B Phase II-C
Pearland OKs $5.8M in roadway improvements Hooper Road and Fruge Road in Pearland’s Lower Kirby District will undergo $5.8 million roadway improvements in the next few years. What you need to know Pearland City Council voted unanimously April 14 to enter into an interlocal agreement with the Lower Kirby Pearland Management District to fund roadway improvements for the two roads. This partnership enables the city to pre-finance the design and construction of those projects. Along with the design of a future road extension, the work will include either reconstructing and/or extending the following: • Fruge Road from Kirby Drive to Hooper Road • Hooper Road to approximately 1,350 feet north of Fruge Road • Work on curbs, gutter, sidewalks, water and
Cities oppose county toll revenue bills Pearland and Friendswood city councils approved resolutions opposing a pair of bills from the Texas Legislature over concerns that the bill could result in funding loss for future road projects. The gist The bills, Senate Bill 2722 and House Bill 5177, would distribute a portion of excess Harris County Toll Road Authority revenue to commissioner precincts based on the percentage of roads they maintain. However, officials from both Pearland and Friendswood worry the bills could limit the funds available to upgrade city roads, city documents show. The bills would mean nearly $60 million would be redirected to other parts of Harris County, city documents show.
Stop-gap work along Blackhawk Boulevard in Friendswood is nearing completion and will allow the city to move forward with wrapping up a key phase of the road’s reconstruction. The city in March approved a new contractor to complete the work. The next step is to work toward creating an agreement with the bond company of the original contractor, which defaulted due to cash flow issues, to complete the phase of work originally contracted, Friendswood Engineering Director Jil Arias said at City Council’s April 7 meeting as part of a larger update on the project. What happened The project, which includes reconstructing sections of Blackhawk Boulevard in Friendswood, costs $9.6 million and is broken up into Phase II-B and Phase II-C, city documents show. A new contractor was brought in for stop-gap construction for Phase II-B, which runs from Geneva Drive to around Pennystone Way.
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The project is being paid for through city funds and in part from Harris County Precinct 2, city
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documents show. How we got here
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Friendswood awarded the contract originally to Triple B Services in May 2023, with the first of two parts, Phase II-B, originally scheduled for comple- tion some time in 2024. However, officials announced in late 2024 the contractor had experienced “significant” cash flow issues, causing the timeline to shift back and parts of the project to be moved to the following phase, Phase II-C, Community Impact previously reported. Looking ahead Permitting with the Texas Department of Trans- portation for Phase II-C is ongoing. Officials expect
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sewer lines, and storm drainage The city will front the $5.8 million cost with the help of the Pearland Economic Development Corporation. The LKPMD will reimburse the city at a later time, city documents show. The PEDC will be reimbursed once LKPMD repays the city. Stay tuned The project’s design portion will begin in 2025 and the construction will start in two years, Matt Buchanan, president of the Pearland Economic Development Corporation, said at the meeting.
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that work to start in 2025 and be completed in 2026. The remainder of the project, which includes work from Pennystone to FM 2351, and Thursa Lane to FM 528, will see officials start construction on the south end of the road, officials said.
SHADOW CREEK 11023 Shadow Creek Pkwy (281) 977-1027
PEARLAND 10555 Pearland Pkwy (713) 987-9205
ALMEDA 11130 Gulf Fwy (713) 910-3941
FRIENDSWOOD 3126 FM 528 (281) 648-5473
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