Friendswood drivers stuck on I-45 and FM 518 are getting a new option: a four-lane divided parkway stretching south from FM 528 to FM 2351, with the first segment targeted for construction within 24 months.
The Friendswood City Council voted Monday, Aug. 3 to adopt the Houston-Galveston Area Council's corridor study, formally green-lighting the extension of Friendswood Parkway. The road currently dead-ends at FM 528, directly across from Castle Biosciences' corporate headquarters at 1500 West Parkwood Ave.
The project splits into two phases. The first segment, running from FM 528 south to Wilderness Trails, carries the city's 24-month construction target. The second segment, from Wilderness Trails to FM 2351, is in early development while the city works with TxDOT on an agreement to begin preliminary engineering and environmental studies. No date has been set for that agreement.
What it means for the corridor
The H-GAC study, launched in October 2024 and finalized in May 2026, calls for a landscaped median and a multi-use path along the full corridor. Its stated goals: provide an alternative east-west route to I-45 South and FM 518, and serve as a hurricane evacuation route for communities near the Gulf Coast.
H-GAC's Transportation Improvement Program database lists the Friendswood Parkway/Pearland Parkway project, classified as Friendswood's portion from FM 2351 to Pearland Parkway, at an estimated cost of $12,043,485 on a six-to-ten-year horizon.
The extension is a regional effort involving Friendswood, Pearland, Galveston County, Brazoria County and TxDOT. On the Brazoria County side, a companion Pearland Parkway extension from Dixie Farm Road to FM 2351 is in early stages and could see construction by 2035, ABC13 reported, citing the county's timeline. H-GAC's TIP database lists that segment at an estimated $35 million.
Growth driving the need
Friendswood's population has climbed to an estimated 41,372, up roughly 42% from 29,037 in the 2000 census. Galveston County reached roughly 372,200 residents in 2025.
Kim Hartman, a 10-year Friendswood resident, told ABC13 the growth is visible. "They're building more and more and more back in this area over here," Hartman said. "So yes, it's grown. Friendswood has grown."
Resident Tyler Autry said he sees an upside for local businesses, telling the station the new road would bring more customers into the area.
What's next
The city's immediate priority is breaking ground on the FM 528-to-Wilderness Trails segment by August 2028. For the southern segment, the next milestone is securing the TxDOT agreement to begin engineering and environmental work. When both the Friendswood and Pearland extensions are complete, they would form a continuous east-west corridor connecting Galveston and Brazoria counties as an alternative to FM 518.
Residents can follow the project at engage.h-gac.com/friendswood-parkway.
