The new 5-foot-wide concrete trail will run nearly a mile along Highland Village Road from the Municipal Complex to Sellmeyer Lane, according to the project map.
The project is funded through a 2018 bond issue and will cost about $883,350, said Scott Kriston, the city’s public works director. This contract does not include pedestrian sitting areas, lighting, waste receptacles or anything else beyond the sidewalk itself.Construction on the sidewalk began Aug. 9, and it will be completed in May, Kriston said.
There is currently no sidewalk along Highland Village Road, and the new walking path will add safety for residents and pedestrians on the roadway, said Laurie Mullens, Highland Village marketing and communications director.
The sidewalk will become part of the network of nearly 20 miles of trails that are an important part of life, Mayor Charlotte Wilcox said.
“As a real estate agent, I recognize that. My clients want to know about the schools and the parks and the trails,” she said. “Once that’s connected, you’ll be able to travel from the east side to the west side and vice versa.”Though the new sidewalk is not officially a trail, the trail system is maintained through sales tax revenue, Mullens said.
“When people shop in Highland Village, they’re actually helping fund the development and maintenance of our trail system,” she said.
The sidewalk fits into the city’s efforts to develop a new comprehensive plan, which will include a 10-year plan for parks and recreation and long-term city planning, Mullens said.
Discussions regarding the new plan will continue through 2022 with a potential plan adoption scheduled for November.
