Mansfield council approves $1.25 million contract for East Broad Street signal and pavement work

The Mansfield City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 9 to award McClendon Construction the contract to install a new traffic signal and complete related pavement and sidewalk work at the Wisteria–East Broad Street intersection.

City staff recommended approval of a contract not to exceed $1,249,488.90, noting McClendon was the low and only bidder on the project. City engineer Raymond Kaufman said the work includes a new traffic signal, sidewalk ramps to the library, concrete panel replacements, a left-turn lane extension and a sidewalk on Wisteria’s west side. Kaufman said the street maintenance fund will contribute $300,000 toward the project.

Kaufman told council the project is part of the 2023 roadway capital improvement plan and that some panels in the intersection are in need of replacement. He explained that survey and materials-testing contracts with outside firms are separate from the construction contract and are included in the total authorization.

Police officials backed the timing of the upgrade. “If you don’t do a traffic signal now, you’ll be doing a traffic signal in another couple of years,” the police chief said, adding the signal should reduce the number of vehicles cutting through the city hall parking lot to avoid congestion.

Council members pressed staff on signal coordination and contingency amounts. Kaufman said the city has adjusted its contingency approach and is now using a 10% contingency on construction contracts to account for subsurface investigations. The item passed on a 6-0 vote after a motion to approve by Councilmember Short and a second from Councilmember Vázquez.

The council did not specify an exact construction start date at the meeting; staff said they would coordinate signal timing with the city’s consultant to avoid queueing back to US‑287.