Magnolia City Council approved a proposal to pave Commerce Street with Montgomery County at the city's April 12 meeting.

City Administrator Don Doering said the proposal to pave Commerce Street is completion of Phase 2 of a 24-inch sewer line extension.

Doering reported the terms of the interlocal agreement with the county are to use the same contractor the county is using. This agreement is so the total price per unit is lower, as it allows for government agencies to work together and create larger projects for contractors.

Council voted unanimously to approve the proposal to pave Commerce Street under the terms of the interlocal agreement with Montgomery County. The next step is for commissioner's court to vote on the item at the April 26 meeting. If the county approves the proposal, the work will be started, and the city will pay for the repaving.

Originally, half of the street would be removed and pipes laid underneath, then the entire street would be paved over. However, there is no base on the other half of the street, according to Doering. Road base is a gravel mix that is under the asphalt pavement.

He said the paving of Commerce Street would be from Nichols Sawmill Road to Lone Pint Brewery. The anticipated cost of the paving project is $76,000. The timeline for construction is unknown, as the city is awaiting approval from the county.

“Commerce Street right now is a mess,” Doering said during the meeting. “This would provide stabilized sand on the half that the sewer line is under and three inches of base on the other half of the road and a two-inch asphalt overlay. You’ll have a good road, better than it is now; it’ll be improved.”