Road improvements are coming to Bay Area Boulevard after Galveston County commissioners voted unanimously Monday, Aug. 17, to approve an initial project budget for the commercial corridor that links Friendswood and Webster.
The 5-0 vote at the Commissioners Court special meeting in League City set up funding for improvements along Bay Area Boulevard from FM 517 to the road's southern terminus. The stretch runs through one of the Clear Lake area's busiest retail and dining corridors.
The project draws from the Unlimited Tax Road Bonds Series 2001 Fund and falls under the county's broader 2025 Mobility & Drainage Bond Program, according to the meeting minutes.
County Judge Mark Henry called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. at the Calder Annex. All five commissioners voted yes. Commissioners Darrell A. Apffel, Joe Giusti, Hank Dugie and Robin Armstrong, MD, joined Judge Henry in approving the full consent agenda.
Program management and drainage work
Commissioners also approved a program management agreement with DCCM Program Management Services to oversee the 2025 Bond projects, authorized by Judge Henry.
Drainage got significant attention on the consent agenda. The court approved engineering agreements for three separate firms on Miles Road Drainage Improvements: Gradient Group LLC, MBCO Engineering LLC and Associated Testing Laboratories Inc. A fourth agreement went to EDGE Engineering PLLC for the Bayou Vista Drainage Analysis project.
Budget amendments established initial project funding for Gordy Avenue Drainage Improvements, Miles Drainage Improvements and Reppert Drainage Improvements, all drawing from the Limited Tax Flood Control Bonds Series 2017 Fund.
Other road bond activations
Bay Area Boulevard was not the only road project to move forward. The court activated budgets for South Kemah Drive in Kemah, Prairie Street in Hitchcock, California Avenue North in Dickinson and various streets in La Marque.
Five consent agenda items related to congregate meal grant program agreements with Friendswood, Galveston, League City, Texas City and Santa Fe senior citizens councils were deferred. The court also deferred consideration of HR Policy Manual revisions regarding time-off plans.
What's next
The budget approval is the first formal step for the Bay Area Boulevard project. Engineering procurement has not yet been publicly noticed, and the county has not released a construction timeline or dollar figure for the work.
