Pearland Says No to Highway 35 Expansion Plans

Pearland Says No to Highway 35 Expansion PlansPearland's City Council voted on September 14 to oppose three freeway projects that could bring a much bigger highway through the city. The projects, part of a larger transportation plan being considered by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), would affect the Hwy. 35 and Mykawa Road area. If approved, the plan could turn this stretch of road into a six-lane freeway running from Dixie Drive all the way to the Brazoria County line.City leaders are worried about how this kind of large highway could affect the neighborhoods and businesses already established in the area. They're especially concerned about Pearland's Old Town district, along with rising noise levels and long-term problems that big freeways can cause when they cut through older, established communities. This isn't the first time the city has raised these concerns. Back in 2021, Pearland pushed back on a similar proposal that would have extended the freeway even farther south into Alvin. That earlier plan didn't move forward, and city officials are hoping for the same result this time.Rather than allowing the freeway to expand, Pearland wants TxDOT to promise that any new freeway construction will stop at Beltway 8. City leaders are also asking for a full study of the area before any decisions are made about adding these projects to the region's long-term transportation plan, which stretches out to the year 2050.