Council reviews Highland Shores Boulevard reconstruction plans; $9M–$10.8M estimate, roundabouts draw questions
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Summary
City engineers presented 60–75% designs on June 10 for Highland Shores Boulevard reconstruction, a corridor-wide paving, drainage and pedestrian-safety project estimated at $9M to $10.8M with a mid‑corridor roundabout proposed at Hillside.
City engineers and staff gave a project update on June 10 for the Highland Shores Boulevard reconstruction program, a multi‑segment mobility and drainage project that would reshape the corridor from Highland Village Road to FM 2499.
Project scope and cost: staff said the project — advanced to roughly 60–75% design — includes pavement reconstruction (concrete in places), narrower travel lanes with consistent cross section throughout the corridor, new or repaired sidewalks on both sides, widened bike lanes (target 7-foot minimum), drainage and culvert repairs and targeted intersection work, including a roundabout at Hillside. The city’s submission to Denton County estimated construction at roughly $9 million; staff added a 20% contingency for inflation and other factors to reach an estimated city cost of about $10.8 million. Denton County’s bond program had been expected to fund roughly 50% of the work; staff said they are confirming whether interest earnings or other county funds might cover recent cost increases.
Design and safety elements: the design team described the corridor as three sections (western rural/overlay, mid urban/curb-and-gutter, eastern rural) and proposed a consistent right-of-way and paving standard across the route. Several council members and staff discussed safety at the proposed roundabout(s). Staff cited national studies showing a substantial reduction in severe collisions for single-lane roundabouts and noted the roundabout would route pedestrian crossings outside the circulating lane rather than across the lane of circulating traffic. Council members asked staff to consider enhanced crosswalk measures, rumble strip approaches and other visual cues to slow traffic as vehicles approach the roundabout.
Right-of-way and HOA issues: staff said some sidewalk within the corridor currently sits on greenbelt or HOA property and that the city would seek additional right-of-way or pedestrian easements and would generally assume maintenance of the sidewalks once incorporated into the public right-of-way. Landscaping and maintenance of median/roundabout plantings could be coordinated with HOAs under an agreement, staff said.
Timing and coordination: staff flagged a schedule concern: a separate TxDOT project at FM 2499 and FM 407 also will affect traffic; staff said they will coordinate timing and could delay start if necessary to avoid compounding construction impacts for residents. If bond funding and design approvals proceed, the project could move to construction in early 2026, with construction lasting roughly a year to 18 months depending on phasing and coordination with other local projects.
Public comment and next steps: the update was informational; council did not vote on the Highland Shores design at the meeting. Staff sought direction on crosswalk locations and treatments and confirmed they would proceed to finalize design and prepare construction documents pending council direction and bond timing.
Representative quote: presenter Bill (project lead) summarized the intent: “We will remediate the ground water issues, and address the subgrade in the pavement failures all along the corridor.”
Ending: staff will return with final design documents, confirmed county participation details and a schedule for bidding and construction that coordinates with the FM 2499/FM 407 project.
