Bedford public works details 4B projects, mill-and-overlay plan and new sidewalk survey

Public Works Director Joe Schweitzer told the Street Improvement Economic Development Corporation on July 1 that recent and upcoming 4B-funded projects include completed utility-and-street conversions, ongoing Parkwood Street and Utilities work, and planning for larger reconstruction on Brown Trail.

The report summarized completed projects such as Deuce Drive and Phillis Street; active work at Parkwood — where the city aims to open Bedford Road in time for Fourth of July holiday and close it once to finish sidewalks — and a planned Gregory and Bedford Court sewer-and-street project expected to be bid later this year. "We will, hopefully open it by the end of this week for the July 4," Schweitzer said of Parkwood.

Schweitzer emphasized the city’s approach to group work so utilities and street work occur together to reduce future disruption. He said the Gregory/Bedford project will use cured-in-place pipe in backyard sewer runs where possible so crews do not dig every yard, and that both asphalt and concrete designs were prepared; the engineer’s estimate currently favors concrete. "It's actually cheaper for us to do concrete," he said.

Council members pressed staff on several operational details. Council member Sable asked that Encore remove old power poles left behind after relocation; Schweitzer noted some delays on Encore's side that have pushed sidewalk work back. On the West Pipeline Road project led by the city of Euless, Schweitzer said Bedford’s participation covers pedestrian improvements and that the city is spending "just shy of 100,000" for its portion. He cautioned that Euless has had last-minute phasing changes that complicate communication to Bedford residents.

Schweitzer reviewed the city’s pavement strategy, showing 2022 pavement-condition-index (PCI) baselines, an accelerated-degradation model to 2025 if no work had been done, and the areas the city has repaired since 2022. He said the city will prioritize completing larger contiguous neighborhoods for mill-and-overlay work where utilities are already finished, rather than piecemeal cul-de-sac repairs. "If we continued to use the HA5 money for mill and overlays ... we're gonna go and accelerate a little bit with our mill and overlay work, so that we can get a full neighborhood done," Schweitzer said.

Staff described recent and planned maintenance tactics: a $900,000 mill-and-overlay program completed this year using county paving crews (the city pays materials and half of the county’s fuel but not labor), a set of rural roads repaved as "easy wins," and a planned high-density mineral-bond (HA5) program that preserves pavement life. Schweitzer said mineral-bond treatments can make roads look nearly new and extend life, but that there currently are not large enough clusters to justify HA5-only work next year.

The department also proposed new recurring maintenance programs for signage and traffic-signal batteries: an $8,100 five-year stop-sign replacement program (then on a 10-year cycle), $30,000 for street-name sign replacement over five years, and $7,200 for periodic traffic-signal battery replacements. Schweitzer described a glide/"drag box" asphalt tool staff is seeking to acquire to improve patching smoothness on small repairs.

On sidewalks, staff proposed the city’s first sidewalk condition survey and to add an online intake form so residents can request sidewalks with clearer upfront guidance on feasibility, cost implications and ordinance criteria. Schweitzer said the sidewalk survey will use a smaller vehicle with sensors similar to the PCI van and could be done together with the pavement survey to save about 20 percent. "This survey is condition survey for the existing, where we have to go back and maybe touch up or repair or replace," he said.

Board members and staff discussed coordination with neighboring jurisdictions on larger corridor projects. Schweitzer said Brown Trail remains tied to a Tarrant County bond program and that some work could move into construction in late 2026 with an 18-month approximate construction timeline for segments under current planning. The council and staff also discussed Cheeksbarger/Cheeksbarger-area improvements related to the H‑E‑B development across the city line in Colleyville; Schweitzer said much of the major work falls under Colleyville's design and that Bedford will complete the work that falls within its right of way.

The presentation closed with staff noting the city is shifting toward area-based multi-year planning to make maintenance predictable and to keep PCI scores stable rather than reacting piecemeal. "The city's looking a lot better in terms of our roads, than what it did previously," Schweitzer said, and staff said the next formal PCI update is planned after the 2022 baseline survey, with a recommended five-year cadence for future PCI updates.

Ending: Staff will bring bid recommendations and timing for projects such as Gregory/Bedford Court and next-year mill-and-overlay work as designs and contracts are finalized; the board heard the status report and had no formal vote on the CIP status item.