Portion of Grapevine’s West Kimball Road to be raised 8 feet

West Kimball Road will undergo construction for two projects that will lessen the possibility of flood-related road closures from Lake Grapevine. Grapevine City Council unanimously approved the projects May 16.

At the May 16 meeting, Grapevine’s Administrative and Engineering Director Bryan Beck said the portion of Kimball Road that is situated next to Grapevine Lake will be reconstructed and raised 8 feet from its current low point. With these improvements, Beck said the road is estimated to stay open 95% of the time.

What’s the issue?

• The section of West Kimball Road only sits a few feet above the normal pool of the lake, which leads to intermittent closures of the roadway, depending on the weather.
• Not only does this create an access issue for the nearby homes, Beck said it is a “drain” on city resources to repeatedly close, clean and open the roadway after the lake level recedes.

The specifics

• Before rebuilding the road, the city will construct an 8-inch water line to connect two dead-end water mains located at Hillcrest Court and Lakeridge Drive. This will improve circulation and provide an additional feed into the neighborhood in the event of a water main break, Beck said.
• The second project is the purchase of an arch culvert that will allow free flow of water and wildlife when the lake rises high enough that it creates backwater on the roadway. Beck said the city has worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the design.
• Once the roadway is completed, Kimball will be striped from Dove Raod to Lakerdige Drive.

The cost

• Council approved $186,750 for the water line improvements.
• The culvert arches are estimated to cost $95,000, according to city documents.
• The roadway project is expected to cost $125,000 for asphalt striping and cement stabilization of the new road, Beck said.

What to expect

• The city anticipates a full closure of Kimball Road between Snakey Lane and Lakeridge Drive during construction.
• The roadway is expected to be closed for about three months, Beck said.