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College Station summarizes $167M in capital projects, timelines for roads, parks and utilities
Summary
Capital projects director Jennifer Cain briefed council on the city's dashboard of roughly 80 active projects and timelines for major works including Greens Prairie, Jones Butler roundabout, Rock Prairie widening and Fire Station 7. Staff flagged coordination needs with TxDOT, Union Pacific and utility relocations.
Jennifer Cain, director of capital projects, told council on June 25 that the city's capital projects dashboard shows roughly 80 active projects and 69 projects available for browsing on the public dashboard. "We actually have about 80 active projects right now," Cain said, noting that the dashboard lists managers and timelines and lets the public zoom to individual projects.
Cain walked council through a selection of high-priority projects and their near-term schedules and constraints. Highlights included:
- Greens Prairie widening: Finalizing the last design pieces and property acquisitions; utility relocations by Wellborn SUD are scheduled for fall, with construction start anticipated in 2027 and a roughly 18-month duration.
- State Highway 6 (Big 6/TXDOT coordination): Several bid packages have come forward; the remaining packages require easement acquisitions and advanced funding agreements with TxDOT. Cain said certain components are unlikely to be complete before 2029 because they depend on TxDOT sequencing and contractor work.
- Jones Butler roundabout: The five-way roundabout design is bid-ready; staff received four bids and is evaluating them. Because of nearby water-utility constraints (e.g., Della Lane pump station), the project may proceed in phases with traffic maintained and could last nearly three years during staged shutdowns.
- Northeast Trunk Line phases 3 and 4: Phase three is slated for bidding after approvals; phase four is in final design with property acquisitions pending. The trunk line will cross SH-30 and State Highway 6 and requires coordination with TxDOT and the A&M System.
Cain also reported progress on Rock Prairie East (95% design, one remaining easement), Creek Tap (under construction with completion expected next spring), Lincoln Avenue (paving nearly complete, weather permitting) and Corporate Parkway utility work tied to a future baseball-field developer. Fire Station 7 is nearing a September grand opening with apparatus-bay doors installed and landscaping underway.
Council questions focused on budgets and contingencies: multiple members asked why project estimates have changed year to year. Cain and staff explained that budgeted planning figures sometimes differ from bid results, that FY27 budget adjustments will reflect more accurate, project-ready numbers, and that contract liquidated-damages clauses are in place for schedule overruns; staff may request additional days for unforeseen conditions but can assess liquidated damages if extensions are not approved.
What to watch next
Staff said multiple bid packages will return to council for award as projects enter procurement. The city expects to bring the next round of bid packages and any necessary FY27 budget amendments to council during the budget cycle.
