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Bellmead outlines $10 million safety project for Bellemead Drive; timeline uncertain pending federal agreement
Summary
City staff described a $10 million, federally funded corridor safety project for Bellemead Drive that officials say will add sidewalks, lighting, signage and traffic controls to reduce collisions; federal contract timing and construction impacts remain uncertain.
Bellmead officials described plans to use a $10,000,000 grant for safety and connectivity improvements along Bellemead Drive, saying the project will focus on sidewalks, lighting, signage and other proven safety treatments to reduce collisions.
Assistant City Manager and finance director Miss Evans, who presented the project overview, said the primary goal is “to improve safety” and that the improvements “are gonna create greater pedestrian and vehicular safety.” She told the council the city reviewed collision data from 2017 through 2021 and found 11 collisions and one fatality on the corridor during that period.
The project’s planned elements include new sidewalks, improved lighting, access-management steps, speed feedback signs, updated striping and traffic-control measures. Miss Evans said the combined measures have a compounding effect; she cited published effectiveness ranges used in the project analysis (for example, feedback signs and striping) and said the city will pair treatments rather than rely on a single fix.
Community Development Director Fred Morris and city staff said the grant is federal and that the city is not proposing to take private property. “TxDOT or the city of Bellmead or any other entity is not taking a single piece of property of anybody's land,” the city manager told the council while discussing right-of-way enforcement; staff said TxDOT would enforce its existing right-of-way but not take private parcels as part of the project.
Council members pressed staff for a timeline and for cost estimates on near-term work. Staff said the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) must execute an agreement before the city can proceed and that the FHWA timing is uncertain; according to staff, nothing can start until a signed federal agreement arrives. When asked about timing, the Community Development Director said federal agencies were moving slowly and that staff had not received a firm schedule from FHWA.
Staff gave a near-term estimate for the Wheeler–Laclede intersection improvements tied to the TxDOT frontage: the city’s initial engineering estimate for that small intersection work is roughly $300,000–$350,000, but staff said final cost will depend on contractor availability, materials and bids. Staff also described a multi-year funding approach if the council elects to raise a small property-tax rate increment (cent fractions) dedicated to roads: a plan discussed in the meeting would phase in small rate increases to generate roughly $1 million over three years for local match and preconstruction work.
Public works and engineering staff warned of short-term construction disruptions and said they will prepare detour and communication plans if the project proceeds. Staff committed to public hearings and regular updates to keep residents informed as the project advances.
The council did not take a formal vote on moving the project forward at this meeting; staff repeatedly emphasized that final decisions and any local funding choices remain the council’s to make.
