"As someone who has drove down Raider Way since 2016, I am super excited for this," Trustee Anna Smith said at the meeting.
One of the reasons this project has been delayed is due to the right-of-way acquisitions, city manager Rick Beverlin said. The city began the project at the end of 2020.
“This project has been on the books and has been critical,” he said. “And one of the delays, really quite honestly, was the right of way.”
The Raider Way and East Woodview Drive project involves widening the current road to a four-lane roadway with street lighting, curb, gutter, storm sewers, 6-inch sidewalks, 8-inch dual sidewalks, turn lanes and other modifications, according to city documents. It also will include a roundabout at Raider Way and Woodview Drive and a new traffic signal at Crystal Falls Parkway and Raider Way. The project is intended to eliminate the heavy traffic that occurs during morning arrivals and afternoon departures at Rouse High School and Wiley Middle School.
The city currently is at 95% of acquisition for the project, Beverlin said. The project is currently in the design stage, and city staff is expected to receive the final design by the end of August. The bid package is anticipated to be finalized by the end of this year.
“I think this is obviously a long-standing project that’s been kind of a thorn in everyone’s side, but at the same token, I think it’s a good one,” Beverlin said. “If we could do this, we could do everything.”
