The Belton City Council approved more than $4.2 million for several street maintenance and improvement projects during a meeting Tuesday evening — $1.4 million of which will be allocated for Southwest Parkway.
With 1,200 feet of added roadway and 700 feet of roadway widening, Public Works Director Matt Bates listed several benefits the project, originally designed in 2020, will bring.
“This project will greatly increase mobility in the area for vehicles and pedestrians with the ability to extend and connect existing phases of Southwest Parkway, a major north-south connection for the region,” he said. “Emergency call response times will improve for fire and police, specifically to Liberty Park, Liberty Valley, Ridge at Belle Meadows, West Canyon Trails subdivisions and the Bell County Justice Complex.”
Bates said there also will be less congestion at Loop 121 at Huey Drive, near the entrance to the court and jail facility.
“BISD can create cohesive bus routes making it easier to access the subdivisions referenced above from Loop 121 and Huey Drive,” he said.
Four bids were received from Central Texas contractors: Round Rock-based DNT Construction, $1.4 million; Belton-based R.T. Schneider, $1.5 million; Georgetown-based JDR Excavation, $1.5 million; and Temple-based RSD Site Development, $2.1 million.
“The low bidder, DNT Construction, has provided engineering references which we believe qualifies them for selection as the general contractor of this project,” Will Sisco, a professional engineer with Turley Engineering & Surveying, said in a letter of recommendation to the city of Belton. “Quality of work, communication and punctuality were all leading positive assessments of DNT’s former work.”
It will be financed through the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone — a financial tool that has helped fund several public improvements in Belton since 2004.
“We had about $1.9 million set aside in the TIRZ funding for this project, so to come in at $1.4 million … that’s huge,” said Bates, who noted how there is a target for the project to be completed within 240 days. “There’s a lot of things out there with what we want to try to do. Maybe some designs and future projects. That money now can be reallocated to another priority project.”
Before she made a motion for approval, Place 7 Councilwoman Stephanie O’Banion emphasized the need for the regional project.
“This was important to the county as well so I think this is a great opportunity for us,” she said.
During the meeting, the Council also approved $2.9 million in funding — which will be drawn from the general fund, capital project fund and American Rescue Plan Act fund — for College Street and 13th Avenue improvements and the annual street maintenance project.
That project will include the reconstruction of College Street from the railroad to 14th Avenue, reconstruction of 13th Avenue from College Street to Main Street, and the mill and overlay of various street segments west and east of Interstate 35.
The Belton Department of Public Works is prioritizing the completion of mill and overlay work this summer to avoid any large impact on school traffic.
“Appreciate all your hard work,” Place 6 Councilman Wayne Carpenter told Bates. “Y’all have been really, really busy. We appreciate it.”
