Concrete panel replacement continues on Virginia Parkway in McKinney

Eldorado Parkway reconstruction was anticipated to cost $3.54 million, but the final cost is now estimated to be $6 million, McKenzie said. The increase came from additional panels being replaced and the installation of a tree root barrier system at several spots along Eldorado Parkway.

Tree roots were encroaching on the subgrade beneath the panels and compromising the pavement, McKenzie said.

“Those trees are what were causing a lot of the issues that we saw with the pavement,” she said.

What it means

City officials anticipate the remaining funding will pay for the first two 1-mile segments that are scheduled for Virginia Parkway:

• Stonebridge Drive to Ridge Road
• Ridge Road to Lake Forest Drive

McKenzie said it’s possible that the contractor makes it past Lake Forest Drive into the next segment before the end of the contract. Construction crews are not experiencing the same issues that they experienced working on Eldorado Parkway, she said.

“It only makes sense to get as much done as we can while we have that contractor out there,” she said.

The background

The panel replacement project has been underway since June 2025. Construction crews are replacing concrete panels along Eldorado Parkway and Virginia Parkway. Council members approved up to $9.2 million for the project, which included a contingency amount for necessary change orders.

State law only permits up to a 25% increase of the original contract’s value, which was $8.3 million, according to McKenzie’s presentation. The additional $1.2 million approved by council is the maximum increase to the original contract, she said.

“We need an additional $1.2 million added to their contract so that they can keep going and get as far as they can get on Virginia,” McKenzie said.

Project funding

Council’s approval brings the total contract amount to $10.4 million. However, that will fall short of the estimated funding needed to finish Virginia Parkway.

Panel replacement is expected to cost between $4.8 million and $6 million to finish construction, according to McKenzie’s presentation. Even with the change order approved by council, portions of Virginia Parkway will be left unfinished until next summer.

The remaining work on Virginia Parkway may be combined with a planned panel replacement project on Airport Drive to make it more “attractive” for contractors, she said.

“Hopefully by this time next year, everything will be ironed out, and we’ll be continuing on to Virginia and then on to tackling Airport Road,” she said.