The West University Place city council gave the nod to city staff during a Feb. 24 workshop, where no official action was made, City Manager David Beach said.
The total project includes a complete road surface replacement from the 5300 block south of Bissonnet to the 6700 block north of West Holcombe/Bellaire. The project also targets drainage system improvements, including proposed dual 8-foot by 8-foot box culverts transporting stormwater to the Poor Farm Ditch south of Holcombe Boulevard, according to the city’s website.
Enhancements, like the designs given the go ahead, are a portion of the total scope of work, but require funding from West U, Beach said. Road and drainage work, meanwhile, will be paid for through a combination of city money and federal grant dollars.
West University will make improvements to the drainage system while the Texas Department of Transportation will administer the road construction, with city oversight.
Decorative traffic signal enhancements are estimated to cost $600,000, and examples could include styling and material for base covers, finial and pole caps, and cross sections along three locations on the road.
LED upgrades on street lights will set the city back an estimated $400,000. Increasing the number of lights goes into that cost, and it’s expected that the upgrades will make the lights more energy efficient and require less maintenance, Beach said.
The council did not opt to request for designs for three other options: intersection enhancements, gateway signage, and underground power line crossings. Those would have cost the city an estimated $2.95 million.
Designers and engineers will take the council’s feedback and incorporate it into the design for the project. A 90% design report will come before the council on March 23.
Should the project timeline remain intact, construction would begin January 2021.
