During the McKinney City Council's regular meeting Tuesday night, council gave the city manager permission to execute a contract with Pavecon Public Works for the widening of Virginia Parkway from Ridge to US 75.

The $17.9 million project is set to begin this month and will be substantially complete by December 2018. Proposed improvements include a pedestrian overlook, connections to the hike and bike trail at Bonnie Wenk Park and sidewalks on each side of bridge near Virginia and Hardin Boulevard.

Street lighting from Ridge Road to Bellegrove Drive will be added. Signal modifications at Lake Forest and new signals at Crutcher Crossing and Mallard Lakes will also be installed. A right turn lane at Joplin Drive, and eastbound left turn/u-turn lane west of the Joplin intersection are included in the project as well.

The project will be broken up into two sections: the west section, which runs from Ridge Road to Bellegrove Drive, will take about 8 months to complete; and the east section, which runs from Bellegrove Drive to US 75, which will take 18 months to complete.

Crews will be working on both sections simultaneously. Lane closures will occur during non-peak hours from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in areas adjacent to schools. One lane will remain open during construction.