By Vanesa Brashier, editor@bluebonnetnews.com
The City of Dayton will soon have an additional 2.7 miles in sidewalks thanks to a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The Dayton City Council on April 15 agreed for the city to enter into agreements with TxDOT for two sidewalk projects.
TxDOT will contribute the bulk of the funding for the $2.9 million project while the city will pay $200,000.
The first section of sidewalk will begin on the south side of US 90 at SH 146 and travel east to Colbert Street, passing in front of Raceway, A M Donuts, Sonic, Walgreens, First Liberty National Bank and Brookshire Brothers. The second section will begin on the southeast corner of Dayton High School on the west side of SH 321 (Cleveland Street), cross SH 321 at Cherry Creek Road near the Dayton ISD Administration Office and E.R. Richter Elementary, and travel south until it meets up with US 90 by McDonald’s Restaurant.
“Are these the first grants we’ve gotten for sidewalks?” Councilman Wendell Null asked during the meeting, to which City Manager Theo Melancon said yes.
“That’s noteworthy,” Null said.
Melancon credited Kim Judge, assistant city manager and director of Development and Planning Services, for her perserverence in going after grant funding from TxDOT.
“When we didn’t get the grant last time, and Mont Belvieu got two, Kim found out why we weren’t getting funding,” Melancon said. The city made adjustments, reapplied this year and was successful.
Once the sidewalk projects are fully designed and bid out by TxDOT, construction will begin. Melancon said residents should see progress being made by September.
As for how long construction of the sidewalks will take, Melancon said, “Honestly, I do not know since it will be managed by TxDOT.”