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TxDOT to build $2.2 million sidewalks on Clarksville Street in Paris to improve pedestrian safety
Summary
The Texas Department of Transportation is constructing sidewalks on both sides of Clarksville Street in Paris, Texas, from Eighteenth Street to 30 Fourth Street using $2.2 million in federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds; work is scheduled to finish in January 2026, weather permitting.
Todd Mitke, city engineer for Paris, Texas, and Daniel Taylor, area engineer for Paris with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), described a Clarksville Street sidewalk project under way in March to improve pedestrian access and safety.
The project will construct sidewalks on both sides of Clarksville Street from Eighteenth Street to 30 Fourth Street, and will include Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps and handrails, Taylor said. “This project cost, $2,200,000. It's a highway safety improvement project. These are federal funds,” he said.
City and TxDOT officials said pedestrian safety was a principal reason for choosing the corridor. Taylor noted that although pedestrians are involved in a small share of crashes, they account for a larger share of traffic deaths statewide. “We...wanted to create a facility that's safe for them to use,” he said, pointing to worn footpaths along the road as evidence of frequent pedestrian use.
Mitke said the city supports TxDOT’s work and praised the agency for bringing federal and state money to Paris. “You certainly have our support to do any and all improvements, pedestrian and otherwise, to the system around Paris,” Mitke said.
TxDOT staff said the contractor’s schedule shows the Clarksville work should finish in January 2026, weather permitting. Taylor also confirmed a separate sidewalk reconstruction project on Bonham Street is planned to go out for bid in September 2025; that work would run from The Loop to Eleventh Street. Officials also noted recent sidewalk work linking Paris High School, the Lovell Civic Center (the city’s “Eiffel Tower” landmark), and Evergreen Cemetery as part of prior efforts to expand pedestrian facilities.
TxDOT staff said the agency develops candidate projects annually and seeks local support when estimating and planning work. Mitke and Taylor emphasized the partnership between the city and TxDOT in identifying corridors and securing funding.
No formal votes or city actions were recorded in the meeting segment. Project scope, cost, funding source, contractor schedule, and related sidewalk projects were the substantive items discussed.
