Haslet council hears updates on road, school‑zone and utility projects

Haslet City Council received progress reports Monday on several infrastructure projects affecting traffic, schools and utilities.

City staff described the status of drainage and pavilion work at Community Park, underground and possible overhead routing for the Encore power line, the near‑completion of Keller‑Haslet Road extension, added school‑zone lighting on John Day Road and early engineering for Blue Mound Road capacity improvements.

The updates matter because the projects affect public safety, traffic flow and near‑term construction scheduling across parts of Haslet.

Mr. Anderson, a staff member who presented conceptual plans, said the Keller‑Haslet Road grading and drainage work was “99% complete” and that crews had started base work; he noted an April ribbon‑cutting and road opening was on track. “They’re putting out next base…so that’s still…on track,” he said.

David Rogers, a staff member reporting on the Encore power line, said the underground portion along Blue Mound Road is about 90% complete and that an alternative routing along the city’s property line could allow the utility to remain overhead, which the council estimated could save the city roughly $600,000 if feasible. “That would potentially, if they can do that, that would save the city $600,000,” Mayor Halsey said during the update.

On school‑zone safety, staff reported the John Day Road school zone was extended roughly 2,000 feet with the addition of four new lights spaced near intersections so approaching drivers can see the zone when turning in. A council member asked who would maintain the lights; a staff member responded, “Yes. We maintain all the school zone lights.”

Council heard a conceptual traffic analysis for Blue Mound Road that evaluates turn‑lane storage and intersection capacity from John Day Road east to Harmon, and flagged ongoing coordination with utilities and a developer cost‑share tied to a nearby development agreement. Mr. Anderson said the concept aims to provide approximately 10 years of added capacity at the corridor’s focused intersections and that staff would return with a construction cost estimate.

Minor safety improvements completed in subdivisions were also noted: a three‑way stop and crosswalk in Caraway subdivision and pedestrian safety measures elsewhere.

The council did not take formal action on the item; staff said they would return with additional design and cost estimates for future consideration.