Three roadways in West Lake Hills identified as high-priority areas for improvements—Wildcat Hollow, Skyline Drive and Harbor View Drive—will soon undergo drainage and pavement upgrades.
West Lake Hills City Council unanimously approved an interlocal agreement Jan. 13 with Water District 10 to tackle the projects in conjunction with WD 10’s larger water line improvements project. As part of that project, WD 10 will install new water lines and subsequently repave sections of the three roadways.
The agreement presents considerable cost savings for the city, according to Mayor Linda Anthony, who said if West Lake Hills had solely taken on the project, the total cost would have increased several times.
Per the terms of the agreement, West Lake Hills will contribute a total $141,623 toward WD 10's drainage improvements. The city also awarded a $297,704 contract to QA Construction Services for subsequent repaving. Anthony noted these projects were already considered in the fiscal year 2020-21 budget.
“This is something the city has been working towards for several years,” Anthony said.
West Lake Hills contracted the engineering firm K. Friese & Associates several years ago to identify the most crucial drainage and pavement projects within the city, in which Wildcat Hollow and Skyline and Harbor View Drive were included.
Anthony said the city saw an opportunity to arrange a cost-sharing agreement with WD 10 when the district embarked on a series of water line improvements throughout the city funded by a $46 million bond package passed in 2015.
Construction is set to begin between mid-February and early March and has been estimated to take approximately 180 days, according to WD 10 General Manager Carla A. Orts.
Orts said a majority of the roadways under construction by WD 10 should remain partially open amid construction. However, more narrow streets such as Harbor View Drive and Wildcat Hollow will likely be subject to temporary closures.
Potentially impacted residents can anticipate close coordination with contractors, and work hours will occur during regular city hours, with no weekend work scheduled, according to Orts.
