According to a social media post by city officials, the move comes as the thoroughfare is being repaved through an interlocal agreement with Tarrant County.
The details
Council approved pavement markings that would improve traffic flow, slow down drivers and add new turn lanes. New pavement should be completed by the end of July, weather permitting, and the new road markings will follow, according to city officials.
According to the social media post, eastbound traffic will see dedicated left turns at:
- Austin Street
- College Street
- Roy Lane
- Cindy Court
- Apache Trail
- Anita Avenue
- Gloria Street
- Pate Orr Road South
- the driveways for Bear Creek Intermediate School
Left-turn lanes will direct westbound traffic into the trailhead parking lot near the Rufe Snow Drive intersection, onto Elaine Street and into Bear Creek Park’s eastern parking lot.
What else?
Flashing warning signs will be added and activated when a pedestrian hits a button to cross Bear Creek Parkway. In addition, pavement markings called ‘shark teeth’ will be added to warn drivers of approaching crosswalks, according to the city’s social media post.
There will also be a new crosswalk spanning Bear Creek Parkway at Pate Orr Road South that will connect to the existing sidewalks and trail system on Pate Orr Road, the social media post stated.
Drivers will encounter lane closures throughout the project during working hours, but the road will reopen each night and over the weekends to help maintain access to Bear Creek Park and area neighborhoods, according to the city’s social media page.
The approach
Work started on the road improvement in June, according to previous reporting. The project will span from Whitley Road to Rufe Snow Drive.
Crews will reconstruct the road by pulverizing the existing asphalt pavement and mixing it into the road base to create a stronger product that has a longer life, said Rachel Reynolds, communication and public engagement manager for the city of Keller. Crews will then construct a new asphalt pavement surface over the improved existing road base.
Reynolds said the estimated cost of the project for Bear Creek Parkway is $655,000.
The Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved an interlocal agreement with the city of Keller on April 16 to rehabilitate and resurface Bear Creek Parkway and Spring Branch Drive.
A closer look
Per the agreement, the county will provide the labor and equipment to assist the city with the project, while the city is paying for the costs of materials and will be billed directly by the material supplier. The agreement is scheduled to terminate at the end of September or on the date the project is completed, whichever comes first, according to documents.
