Director of Engineering and Capital Projects Nick Kohel gave an update on several capital improvement projects from the 2021 bond program during an update by the April 7 council meeting.
The projects are supported by about $483 million in funding, Kohel said, which comes from the 2015 bond, the 2021 bond, grants, partners such as Dallas County and TxDOT, and more.
In a nutshell
Kohel said many of the projects underway are part of Proposition A from the 2021 bond, including street reconstruction on Custer Parkway, Glenville Drive, West Shore Drive and more. Of the Proposition A projects, 49% are under construction and 38% are complete. The remaining projects are in the planning or design stage, Kohel said.
In total, the 2021 bond funded $102 million for Proposition A projects. Additional funding comes from certificates of obligation and various city funds, which total about $155 million.
Zooming in
One of the biggest projects underway is the Custer Parkway street reconstruction, which includes water and sanitary sewer replacement, Kohel said. To reduce impact on residents, the project was broken into four segments. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Kohel also detailed the pavement reconstruction efforts on Glenville Drive. The project consists of converting the road from a four-lane road to a two-lane road, and bicycle lanes will be added.
However, utility line placement has caused delays in the project, Kohel said, adding many carriers haven’t kept adequate records of where utility lines are located.
“Every carrier that has utilities in the city of Richardson does manage to go down this corridor,” Kohel said. “And in many cases, they have lines they weren’t even aware they had, and it is like a bowl of spaghetti trying to figure out whose line is whose.”
Despite these setbacks, Kohel said the project continues to progress and is expected to be completed later this year, adding that a majority of the utility work is complete.
What else?
All four projects under the 2021 bond Proposition B program and the 2023 bond program, which include animal shelter, Fire Station No. 5 and library renovations and construction of the new city hall are underway, Kohel said.
Final interior finishes and exterior trim are nearly completed for the animal shelter, Kohel said. Additionally, the city waterline placement conflicts with the new entry ramp, as a result, the waterline will be relocated, and the project is expected to be completed later this year.
Fire Station No. 5 is also expected to wrap up construction this year, Kohel said. The exterior masonry wall and roof work is still underway.
In addition, Kohel said construction on the new city hall is “off to the races.” The contractor has demolished much of the south and central parking lots, Kohel said, and has begun working on site improvements.
Utility work is underway, and the project is on track for completion in early 2027.
One last thing
Residents can check the progress of capital improvement projects by visiting www.cor.net/projects. The website will allow residents to filter by project type, funding source or status and includes a comprehensive list of all projects underway.
