City staff outlines $75M ballpark to extend Twin Mountain to U.S. 67, flags right‑of‑way and railroad hurdles
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Summary
Assistant City Manager Shane Kelton presented a preliminary plan to extend Twin Mountain to U.S. 67, estimating roughly $75 million for full buildout and $3.1–3.2 million to make the corridor shovel‑ready; staff emphasized major right‑of‑way, terrain and railroad crossing challenges and recommended phased design and acquisition work.
Assistant City Manager Shane Kelton told the Economic Development Board that city planners have preliminarily mapped an extension of Twin Mountain to U.S. 67 and outlined significant cost and engineering uncertainties.
Kelton said the city’s master thoroughfare concept is preliminary and intended to show a future arterial link across the city’s southwest sector. He provided ballpark figures: about $75 million to deliver a turnkey roadway with sidewalks, lighting and electrical service; $25 million to $30 million to install water and sewer across the corridor; and roughly $3.1 million to $3.2 million to fund right‑of‑way acquisition and engineering to reach “shelf‑ready” status. He estimated a smaller initial package — surveys and right‑of‑way work — at about $500,000–$600,000.
The presentation emphasized constraints that could push costs higher. Kelton flagged steep, uneven terrain, multiple canyons, and at‑grade railroad crossings as the primary engineering challenges. He said crossing the Texas Pacifico rail line would be especially difficult and that federal and railroad safety concerns often push municipalities away from at‑grade solutions. The project would likely require negotiating easements or acquiring narrow rights‑of‑way around private homesteads and family ranches rather than buying entire properties, Kelton said.
Board members pressed staff on scale and timing. Staff estimated the full corridor would be roughly 1.5 to 2 miles when curves and alignments are considered and said an 18‑month timeline is reasonable to complete initial surveys, negotiate easements and secure right‑of‑way before detailed design begins. Kelton noted that a completed survey and design package would narrow the cost range.
Board members and staff discussed financing options, including assessments used previously on earlier phases of Twin Mountain, bonds and developer contributions. City staff said Texas law and the city charter may limit or require changes to allow certain assessment tools, and that some approaches could require council or charter action. Members suggested creative approaches, such as using water‑infrastructure funding to catalyze development in targeted areas, but staff advised legal review to determine allowable uses.
The board did not take formal action on the project; staff was asked to continue refining cost estimates, right‑of‑way strategies and potential funding tools and to report back to the board.
