Commerce plans roughly $20 million in street reconstruction over six years, city staff says

City staff member said the City of Commerce, Texas, has identified about $20 million to $21 million in street reconstruction projects planned over the next six years, with work on Sterling Heart and Oak Lane slated to begin in calendar year 2025.

The city presented the reconstruction plan and the process used to pick projects, saying the work will be expensive and take several years from initial assessment to finished pavement. "Street reconstruction from beginning to end is usually 2 and a half years long," the City staff member said.

City officials said they prioritize streets for reconstruction using a pavement condition index (PCI) survey, traffic volume, underground utility condition and available budget. The city contracted a PCI evaluation covering all streets and maintains a map of results. Staff said maintenance is appropriate for short-lived fixes, while reconstruction is a long-term investment intended to last 10 to 20 years.

The presentation listed completed and planned projects and their estimated construction budgets. The city completed reconstruction of Washington Street, Park Street and a small section of Hickory Street at a cost of about $5 million. The next project, described as a safe-routes-to-school priority, will reconstruct Sterling Heart and Oak Lane — including the section by Commerce Elementary School and adjacent to Centennial Park — with an estimated construction cost of about $4.5 million and work beginning in 2025. Officials said downtown improvements (sidewalks, curb ramps and ADA features) will follow, then Monroe Street from north of Culver around Lee Street south to Charity Lane (estimated $3 million to $4 million), and Charity from Highway 24 east to Bus Barn Road (estimated $5 million to $6 million).

Staff described the design, procurement and construction timeline in detail. Engineering and design typically take about 12 months, including surveys, drainage design and any required upsizing of water or sewer mains. After design, projects go to bid; construction usually takes about nine to 18 months depending on scope. For a typical reconstruction project the city expects a total timeline of roughly 2 to 2½ years from selection to completion.

Funding: staff said street reconstruction is generally financed through long-term borrowing — such as bonds or certificates of obligation — to align costs with the asset's useful life and to spread payments across generations. They described this as a generational-equity approach: spreading a $5 million reconstruction cost over 20 years so future users share in the cost. The city said maintenance work, which lasts an estimated two to five years, is paid from current cash when possible.

Technical and construction details noted by staff included subgrade and soil stabilization (important because local clay soils expand and contract), potential need to replace or upsize underground utilities, installation of curb and gutter to protect pavement edges, ADA-compliant sidewalks and slopes, and how weather (heavy rain, cold temperatures) can delay work and increase costs. Staff cautioned that putting asphalt below recommended temperatures can raise the risk of premature pavement failure.

Staff emphasized limited funding and a long list of streets needing reconstruction, asking residents for patience as the city sequences projects based on PCI scores, traffic impacts, underground utility conditions and budget capacity. They reiterated that the city will continue to develop engineering designs and acquire rights-of-way as funding becomes available.