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DeSoto to design safety upgrades at Beltline and Cockrell Hill after grant award; council approves $200,000 design allocation
Summary
Council unanimously approved a $200,000 city design allocation to pair with $1.25 million in TxDOT construction funds for intersection safety upgrades at Beltline and Cockrell Hill. Staff cited 50 crashes over three years and proposed ADA-compliant sidewalks, left-turn geometry changes, radar detection and improved markings.
Development Services Director Ahmed Alkasey presented plans to improve safety and signal operations at the Beltline Road and Cockrell Hill Road intersection, saying the location was among the city's top crash sites with roughly 50 crashes over three years. The proposed work package includes ADA-compliant sidewalk replacements, 0-offset left-turn adjustments, radar detection and refreshed pavement markings.
Alkasey explained TxDOT would pay approximately $1,250,000 for construction while the city would cover design costs estimated at $200,000. "This is why we're allocating this money to this project," he said, adding the city would perform surveying, geotechnical investigation and design while TxDOT would manage letting and pay the contractor directly. Mayor Pro Tem Crystal Chisholm thanked staff for securing the grant and said living near the intersection she has repeatedly heard reports of crashes.
Councilmembers raised concerns about the long construction timetable (design completed in October 2027, TxDOT letting in early 2029) and the tradeoffs between median landscaping and safety. Alkasey said the design will remove noncompliant sidewalk segments and replace them with ADA-accessible ramps and paths, acknowledging the landscaping changes are a tradeoff for reduced crash risk. The council voted unanimously to allocate the $200,000 in design funds from Capital Outlay.
