Residents in the City are closer to seeing final construction crews on McHard Road. On July 28, 2014, the Pearland City Council approved a contract for the final design phase of the road. The design and environmental work will start in the next two weeks and after that work, land acquisition will begin, which will be followed by construction. The process can take up to three years before the construction begins.  

As part of the City's Capital Improvement Program, the McHard Road project will extend approximately 3.5 miles of McHard Road, from Cullen Parkway to Mykawa Road, constructing a 4-lane, concrete, curb and gutter, divided roadway with raised medians. It includes storm sewers, outfalls and detention, traffic signals, sidewalks and related items. 

Additionally, the McHard Road Project was one of nine projects submitted for federal/state funding to Houston Galveston Area Council's Call for Projects in 2012, as part of the Transportation Improvement Program. It was one of four Pearland projects to receive funding approval in May 2013 with a funding mix of  80% federal funds with a 20% local match. To utilize the federal funds, the City entered into an Advanced Funding Agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation, establishing the project budget and available federal funds. 

The City selected Freese-Nichols, Inc. in May 2013,  to provide design services for the McHard roadway project which included in part final design, bid phase services, and construction phase services and non-traditional additional services including environmental documentation, Right of Way appraisal, acquisition and relocation services, and more - one of the final steps in a process that began when McHard Road first appeared in the City's Planning documents in the City's 1988 Comprehensive Plan Update.

The road also appeared in the 1993 Major Thoroughfare Plan showing McHard as a major east-west corridor north of FM 518 connecting FM 521 to Pearland Parkway. Then, in the late 1990s the segment between SH 35 and Mykawa Road was constructed and in 2006, the segment between SH35 and Pearland Parkway was completed. The segment between Country Place Boulevard and Cullen Parkway was completed in 2010. Most recently, a widening of the segment between FM 521 and SH 288 was completed in 2011. 

The City initially negotiated the scope and fee for services needed for the final construction project and then submitted the contract to the Texas Department of Transportation. The Texas Department of Transportation completed their review and comments on the contract in June 2014 for the $4.4 million design services required for the final construction phase. The overall project is $41 million of which the City will be reimbursed 80 percent.  

Click here to view a map of the McHard Road project. 

Thoroughfare Plan Map