With the help of voter-approved Tarrant County bond funds, plans are underway to rebuild and widen an aging section of Randol Mill Road that serves as a gateway into Arlington’s Entertainment District.
On Tuesday, the Arlington City Council approved an engineering services contract with Teague Nall and Perkins, Inc., a Fort Worth-based company to design improvements for the heavily traveled section of Randol Mill Road between Cooper Street and Collins Street. A construction start date has not been set yet, as all funding has not been secured.
As part of the 2021 Tarrant County Transportation Bond Program, voters approved funding for 50% of the City’s project cost, or up to $17,019,500. The City is expected to include a request for the remainder of the necessary funding in a bond package that could be presented to Arlington voters in November 2023. The City Council also appointed a 19-member Citizens Bond Committee on Tuesday to begin working on 2023 bond proposals.
Once all funding for the Randol Mill Road project is secured, Arlington will expand and rebuild the four-lane asphalt road to a six-lane concrete road as proposed in the City’s throughfare development plan, Public Works Project Engineer Chris Funches said. The project will also include constructing sidewalks and ADA-compliant curb ramps, making intersection improvements, adding streetlights and traffic signals, addressing drainage issues, and renewing water and sanitary sewer infrastructure.
While Public Works has conducted regular street maintenance, such as mill and overlay and filling in potholes, on this section for several years, replacing the distressed asphalt with concrete will create a smoother ride for drivers and extend the lifespan of the roadway, Funches said. Based on data from the annual pavement survey, Randol Mill Road between Cooper and Collins streets currently has an Overall Condition Index (OCI) rating ranging from 26 to 50 on a scale of 1-100. Roads in Arlington with an OCI rating lower than 50 are called “red streets” and recommended for inclusion in the department’s Capital Improvement Program. Click here to visit the City’s StreetTracker website to see the Arlington Street Condition Map.
The engineering services contract with Teague Nall and Perkins, Inc. is for an amount not to exceed $5.5 million. Teague Nall and Perkins, Inc. will be utilizing MWBE subconsultants in the project and have agreed with the City to have an MWBE participation goal of 26.6% of the contract value.
Enhance Regional Mobility, Bond Program, Street Construction Projects, City Council District 1, Entertainment District
Original source can be found here.
