FM 518 corridor study presents one‑way pair, medians and six‑lane options to address future congestion

Consultants working with the Houston‑Galveston Area Council (H‑GAC) presented the FM 518 corridor study at a June 30 joint workshop of the Pearland City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission, outlining short‑term intersection improvements and longer‑term alternatives to address projected congestion and safety problems along FM 518 from McLean Road east to East Edgewood Drive in Friendswood.

The study, led by H‑GAC consultants and presented by Alliance Transportation Group senior project manager Evelyn Saul, uses the H‑GAC travel demand model and a 2045 “no‑build” baseline to compare outcomes. Saul said the study’s two primary goals are to improve traffic safety and to move people and goods more efficiently; the analysis relied on crash‑modification factors, safety performance functions and microsimulation in VISSIM for level‑of‑service and delay estimates. “The purpose of the study is to analyze potential short and long term solutions that will create a safe, sustainable and accessible corridor that prioritizes the needs of all users, while improving traffic flow,” Saul said.

Nut graf: The study shows the corridor could be largely congested by 2045 under the no‑build scenario, and presents tradeoffs between safety and mobility. Short‑term fixes (signal timing, added turn lanes and targeted safety countermeasures) are intended as 0–5 and 5–10 year steps. Longer…