Almost there: After surmounting numerous challenges and unpleasant surprises tied to roadwork on Hendricks and Gay Avenue, the city’s project is nearly complete.
Nearly, says Gladewater City Manager Charlie Smith.
The ‘final’ walkthrough on Hendricks revealed a few more lingering tasks for the contractors’ to wrap up, he said.
“We still haven’t done the final payout on that yet,” Smith confirmed. The total contract comes to $680,459. “We used our contingency funds to place some extra valves and pipe for future upgrades on Rodeo and Gay.
“I’m going to make sure everything’s completely done to my satisfaction before I cut that loose.”
Once those stretches of roadway are put to bed, the city’s next road target is Roden Lane.
“We’ve been looking at the water/sewer issues underneath and the problems we’ve had,” Smith said. There aren’t many, fortunately. “The next deal would be to go in and do the repair on any potholes we might have to get it ready to do an overlay or chip seal on it.”
That work will start after Oct. 1, the beginning of the city’s Fiscal Year 2025.
As much as possible will be handled in-house, Smith noted, utilized Public Works personnel and their steadily expanding skillset.
“Some of that previous stuff that might have been fixed in there, we might cut it out and redo the base to make sure it’ll hold up with the new topping, whichever way we go with it,” he added.
It’s another example of an ever-growing focus on ensuring quality work within normal operating hours and performed by city workers instead of more-costly contractors.
That’s a council priority, Smith noted.
“They’ve been really aggressive about getting some of these things fixed,” he said. “Even if they have to use a contractor to get things fixed and our guys will be able to maintain it, I think that’s a good goal to have.”
With Public Works handling more asphalting, the city’s employees just completed parking lot improvements for the fire department.
“They did it themselves and did a really good job,” Smith said. “They’re taking a lot of responsibility on things right now.
“Roadwork’s always going to be on the top of that list. Potholes are always going to be one of the issues.”
Crews put in extra time on Phillip Springs Road last week, he added.
“I still want to go in for collaboration with our counties to get their assistance on some overlays and chip seal on East Lake and West Lake to get some of that stuff done.”
Other projects on the list right now include the installation of a new security fence at Gladewater Municipal Airport.
The $45,250 project is largely grant-funded through Texas Department of Transportation.
“Harris Fence Company will start sometime around the 20th of September,” Smith said. “I’m really looking forward to getting that going.”
On the water front, rehab work’s complete on the Gay Avenue water tower and construction’s finished on the new chemical building at the Gladewater Water Treatment Plant.
The city is pursuing Water Development Board funding for planned upgrades at the East Lake Drive facility.
“There’s some big projects out there,” Smith noted.
– By James Draper