The City of Dayton has secured more than $4 million in grant funding from the Texas General Land Office (GLO) for a major street rehabilitation project, marking a significant investment in local infrastructure and road conditions.
The GLO grant, awarded in partnership with GrantWorks, an Austin-based grant administrator, will fund road improvements in several low-to-moderate income areas of the city. Dayton will contribute a $400,000 match toward the project.
City Manager Derek Woods called the funding a major step forward for Dayton.
“This is great news for the residents and businesses in Dayton,” Woods said. “It’s going to be a really good project. I’ve lived here since January 2022, and this will be the first time we’ve actually repaved a street in that time. We just didn’t have the money for it until now.”
The GLO-funded improvements will be split between two areas of the city. On the north side of U.S. 90, the streets to be repaired include Paul, Hunnicut, Brooks, McBride, Austin, Kindt and Tyler streets. On the south side, work will take place on S. Colbert, E. Houston, Hope and Young streets.
This grant award follows recent action by the Dayton City Council, which last month approved $1.8 million from the general fund for additional street repairs. That funding will be used to rehabilitate portions of Waring, N. Main, N. Winfree, S. Church, Hillcrest, Ranchwood, Linney Creek, Waco and Arcadia streets.
In preparation for those repairs, the city has already conducted pipe burst testing to ensure that water and sewer lines beneath those roadways are in good condition. Woods said he plans to meet with contractors next week to discuss the construction timeline.
“We want to get those done as quickly as possible before school starts,” he said of the City-funded street repair project.
In addition to the street improvements, Dayton was awarded a separate $1.4 million sewer grant in 2023. That project will include repairs to aging infrastructure in the Hunnicut, Kindt and Suburban Acres areas. Planned work includes fixing sagging gravity sewer lines, relining manholes, and replacing other key components of the wastewater system.
While residents may be eager to see paving begin immediately, Woods emphasized that the grant-funded street project will take time to launch.
“People should expect to see paving on that project in the coming months,” he said regarding the grant-approved street repairs, noting that bidding, pre-construction meetings, and other required steps must be completed before work can begin.
As for the City-funded street repairs, residents should see that project begin by August 2025 at the latest, weather permitting.
“We have a plan going forward to do more street repairs in the future,” Woods said.
When asked about the projects, Dayton Mayor Martin Mudd said he is excited about the future of Dayton.
“After two and a half years in office, I’m excited to work with our new city manager, Derek Woods, to advance the council’s initiative on infrastructure repair,” Mudd said. “These road improvements are long overdue. I’ve lived in Dayton for more than 10 years, and I’ve never seen an infrastructure project of this scale. Please be patient with us—we have a plan to reach every street, even if yours isn’t on the list this year. I’m grateful to the City Council for supporting the promises I made to this community. These projects represent a meaningful shift in how Dayton will move forward.”