The Round Rock City Council will consider approving a $2.9 million contract Feb. 9 for reconstruction work for streets near La Frontera shopping center that, according to city staff, will enhance safety and mobility in the area.

Streets along Hester's Crossing Road from Dry Creek Drive to County Road 172; La Frontera Boulevard from Hester's Crossing Road to Toll 45; and the intersection of Sundance Parkway and Kouri Drive show failures of heaving and depressions in areas where underground utilities and infrastructure exist, according to city transportation staff.

This means that changing weather conditions, particularly heat and rain, have caused the streets to change either by sinking or moving.

The streets were approved for construction in March 1999 as part of the La Frontera Development project.

Round Rock Transportation Director Gary Hudder said staff hopes to have the reconstruction work completed by Oct. 31 in time for the holiday shopping season.

Councilman Craig Morgan, who was not on the council when the projects were approved in 1999, had some reservations at the Feb. 7 council packet meeting.

"I'm not sure about using $2.9 million to repair something that, in my eyes, should last longer," Morgan said. "The road is 10 or 11 years old, roughly, and my concern is having to replace it at this juncture of the game."

Hudder said the streets are in need of repair work due to changing weather conditions, especially heat, that affects the soil.

"A lot of this is the result of ground movement that has been changing a lot over the years; the moisture. Part of our investigation is to sort out what some of that stuff is," Hudder said.

The project would be paid for with Type B funds that cover the city's road construction and road improvement projects.

Project manager Bill Stablein said the construction contract would be with RGM Constructors of Texas, which the city has worked with for 10 years on projects on A.W. Grimes Boulevard, Double Creek Drive, Forest Creek Drive and East Old Settlers Road projects and have had "very good results."

"Moving forward, I want us to use due diligence to make sure we are doing it [reconstruction work] correctly, and that way we are not doing it again in another 8, 9 or 10 years," Morgan said.

The transportation staff plans to do a more in-depth study of surface conditions on the streets near La Frontera before beginning reconstruction work.

"We want to make sure our specifications are good. We want to do a thorough job of looking at surface conditions," Hudder said.

The City Council is expected to take action at the Feb. 9 meeting to be held at the Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St., starting at 7 p.m.