Paving the way for Plano’s pending growth has led to increased funding for the city’s public works and engineering departments. As a result, both departments are moving quickly to repair streets, neighborhood roads and alleyways to enhance the longevity of Plano’s infrastructure. Having conducted less frequent inspections during periods of extreme growth and with portions of roads almost half a century old, city officials said they are utilizing added manpower and technology to effectively organize and track road repairs and improvement projects. “Something that was new 17 years ago is middle-age now. Even in the western part of the city a lot of those streets are 20 years old now,” Public Works Director Gerald Cosgrove said. “The longer you wait to repair or maintain the more expensive it gets and then you have to repave it. We don’t want to get to that point.”

Fixing the problem

Each year, city employees examine streets by their number of defects and patches. Last year a minimum of 150 defects per mile were found along portions of Parker Road and Park Boulevard. That number has decreased due to past projects. The city named Legacy Drive the worst thoroughfare in Plano in 2015 with 113 defects per mile. To help offset the cost of repaving roads with concrete, the city has begun incorporating asphalt into some of its patching. The asphalt overlay, as well as using a procedure that injects polyurethane foam underneath concrete slabs to restabilize and reseal them, are serving as long-lasting substitutes to costly repaving jobs, Cosgrove said. While the majority of roads nationwide are now made of asphalt, early city leaders decided to make concrete the standard in Plano. Clay soils underneath expand when wet and shrink during dry seasons, causing cracks in the concrete. Asphalt, on the other hand, is more flexible and requires less frequent inspections, Cosgrove said. Source: city of Plano[/caption]

Coordination is key

One challenge both departments face is setting a timeline for these projects due to inclement weather, which can extend estimated completion dates. The best way to overcome this is with constant communication to prevent overlapping worksites and exacerbated traffic conditions, Engineering Director Jack Carr said. “We need to coordinate and work closely together so that we’re not both putting the traffic that needs to detour around our construction project onto somebody else’s [project],” he said. The Engineering Department handles larger road improvements, many of which are taking place at intersections across the city. With Plano’s roads built to full-lane capacity in accordance with the Collin County Thoroughfare Plan, dedicated right- and left-hand turn lanes are being incorporated to accommodate increased traffic flows, Carr said. Turn lane additions are scheduled for Independence Parkway, Legacy Drive, Park Boulevard, Parker Road and other corridors. Such improvements have been completed along Preston Road at Headquarters Drive and Hedgcoxe Road, with more scheduled to take place southward at the Spring Creek Parkway and Parker Road intersections. The entire project is expected to be complete by December, Carr said. “[The city has] knocked out a lot of the easier projects, and now we’re down to the point of [investing] a lot of time, effort and money to get the extra capacity at these remaining intersections,” Carr said. Source: city of Plano[/caption] Funding road projects Collin County reimburses half of the total cost for road improvements that are included in the county’s thoroughfare plan and that are part of Plano’s Community Investment Program, or CIP. The North Central Texas Council of Governments also provides funding for these projects through its regional toll revenue program. Cities like Plano typically seek RTR funding due to increasing costs and an aging infrastructure system. The NCTCOG evaluates projects based on cost effectiveness and their impact on the region’s overall transportation system. If a project will reduce congestion and help the region meet its air quality goals, it is given high priority. “I think most cities in Collin County would tell you that RTR funds have been invaluable in providing additional revenue that would not otherwise be available for projects being implemented today,” said Christie Gotti, senior program manager for the NCTCOG. Last year the Public Works Department received an extra $5 million from the city’s capital reserve fund for 10 additional employees to aid in repairing streets, alleys and sidewalks. Cosgrove said he would more than likely be back in the fall to request more funding as these projects continue. The department’s 2015-16 budget also includes new software to track projects and costs. The system will enable the city to better determine what rehabilitation projects are needed and how to best prioritize them financially, said Cosgrove. The department is already using budgeted funds to hire a contractor for conducting annual street inspections starting by 2016. Budget meetings begin in June and the city manager’s recommended budget will be out in July.