Nichols Sawmill widening expected to be completed by summer

The widening of Nichols Sawmill Road from Commerce Street to Old Hockley Road, which began in early March, is expected to be completed this summer, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley said in a March 30 interview.

“Probably three weeks ago, we started cutting the shoulders back and trying to get both sides of the road cut back,” Riley said. “Now we’re in the process of stabilizing the new outside lanes. They will start grinding up the old road probably [this week]. So there’s probably another 90 days, and it’ll be complete.”

The county finished its widening of Nichols Sawmill Road from Grand Pines Drive to Old Hockley Road last summer, Community Impact previously reported.

This project, using funds from the county’s 2015 road bond, is anticipated to cost around $1.5 million, Riley said.

“I only have about $1.6 [million] or [$1.7 million] left,” Riley said about Precinct 2’s road bond funds. “So we’re fixing to use every bit of ours on Nichols Sawmill Road, and we’ll be done.”

Riley also said some of the $5 million in ARPA funds designated for stormwater projects could potentially be used on Nichols Sawmill Road.

“I didn’t have this $5 million when I started widening Nichols Sawmill Road, and there’s parts of Nichols Sawmill Road that when we get a 10- or 15-inch rain, right now we’ll go underwater,” Riley said. “So I’m looking at trying to see if I can design and engineer those spots on Nichols Sawmill Road [so] I can keep them from going underwater.”