Sugar Land City Council authorized a $3.3 million contract with DG Medina Construction for the First Colony Trail and Pedestrian Bridges Project during its Nov. 15 meeting.
As part of the 2013 Parks Bond program, the citizens of Sugar Land approved the hike and bike trail projects as Proposition No. 3, according to agenda documents. The Proposition included the Imperial Connector Trail, the Sugar Land Trail and the First Colony Trails.
The First Colony Trail Project is intended to create a connected trail network within the First Colony area. Its design scope has seen changes since the 2013 Parks Bond based on stakeholder feedback the city received in 2017, particularly over concerns from the community over safety issues.
“We decided to put the project on hold to address some of those concerns,” said Monique Johnson, Sugar Land's transportation and mobility innovation manager, at the meeting.
The city undertook a public engagement process, involving neighborhoods, Fort Bend ISD, St. Laurence Church and the Levee Improvement District.
“We really got a lot of input from those stakeholders to pretty much change the scope and deliver more than what we originally included in that 2013 bond and to also meet the needs of those residents,” Johnson said.
The project now includes 10-foot-wide trail connections from Lexington Boulevard and Austin Parkway to the Woodstream Trail as well as a below-grade crossing at Sweetwater Boulevard. Pedestrian bridges will be constructed over Ditch A at the Ditch D intersection, Ditch A at Sweetwater Boulevard, Ditch C at Austin Parkway and Ditch C at Mesquite Park.
Funding for the projects draws from the 2013 Parks Bond, the 2020 Fort Bend County Parks Bond and a budget amendment of $700,000 from the Sugar Land Trail project. Construction will begin in December, with completion estimated in May 2023, according to agenda documents.
