City Manager Chris Whittaker said this week the long-awaited US 79 work will start this fall and that’s the first step toward a major downtown makeover.
“There are four parts to this project, restriping US 79 downtown from four lanes to two and a turn lane, remilling the road on 79 from the US 77 overpass west to Dairy Queen, fixing drainage (curbs, gutters and grates) through that stretch, fixing entrances and driveways with proper curbing and driveways in this area and providing a new sidewalk on the US 79’s south side from City Hall to Dairy Queen,” he said.
He said the project is expected to start this fall.
“We are paying approximately $322,000 for the design and engineering for a project estimated over $6 million,” he said.
“The sidewalk they are doing for us is valued over $500,000,” he said. “In addition, we will replace outdated cast iron pipes and other infrastructure as identified during the work. Right now, the projected completion is summer 2019.”
DOWNTOWN—Whittaker said after TxDOT changes the traffic pattern work will begin on two major sidewalk grant projects downtown.
“The Downtown Revitalization Program (DRP) Grant will replace the sidewalks on US 79 from Green to Ackerman on both sides of the road,” he said
“We will get new lighting, concrete bump-outs, planters, stamped concrete and increased parking areas (longer due to the restriping of US 79 to two lanes and a turn lane),” he said.
He noted the TxDOT Transportation Set Aside (TASA) grant will accomplish the same thing on both sides of the highway from Ackerman to Burleson.
“Maybe this will happen in the spring or summer of next year,” Whittaker said. “Change is coming to Rock-dale after three years of working these projects and getting these grants.”
He said a stakeholder meeting with those affected will be held once the plans are finalized and distributed.
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