The biggest changes to the appearance of downtown Rockdale in at least a half century are on the way.
Those changes will be discussed in a 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. meeting Thursday at the Patterson Civic Center.
The project is huge, but its showpiece parts are resurfacing US 79 (Cameron Avenue) through downtown, and considerably beyond, and re-striping the highway through a three-block heart of Rockdale section from four lanes to three lanes with a center left-turn lane.
SIDEWALKS—But what will really change the face of downtown will be new sidewalks along Cameron Avenue between Green and Scarbrough.
“They are really going to be nice,” City Manager Chris Whittaker said. “They will really transform the appearance of downtown Rockdale.”
The sidewalk project will include curb bumpouts (sidewalk-extending, “traffic calming” areas), accessible ramps, fencing and some new entrances to buildings.
“We have also had a few meetings with some of the affected businesses,” Whittaker said.
He pointed out that no new right-of-way will be needed for any of the projects. “This will all take place within the existing TxDOT right of way,” he said.
New curb and guttering will also be part of the project.
The new sidewalks will facilitate pedestrian traffic along US 79 downtown in addition to improving the appeal of the area.
Sidewalks in the area have not been upgraded in many decades and currently there’s a potential for tripping due to uneven grades. That will be smoothed out in the upcoming project.
HIGHWAY—The highway renovation will actually stretch from the US 77 overpass at the eastern city limits to a point near Dollar General, well west of downtown.
In the Scarbrough to Burleson downtown section the current 4-lane striping will be replaced with the three-lane concept which currently exists on US 79 east of the downtown area.
“This will allow for more parking space and vehicles will no longer have to park partially on the sidewalk to keep from sticking out into the traffic,” Whittaker said.
Also, the current right turn lane from US 79 onto Scarbrough for eastbound traffic will be reconfigured to a short-right turn.
That lane is notorious for drivers not accustomed to Rockdale traffic patterns, who often”get trapped” in that far right lane then have to quickly merge to the left when they find its “right turn only at Scarbrough.”
The City of Rockdale landed two state grants for the sidewalk project.
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