Copperas Cove city council to prioritize future roadway, walking trail projects

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

At the Tuesday Oct. 17 meeting of the Copperas Cove city council, the council will be discussing and giving recommendations on a lineup of possible future roadway projects. 
City Manager Ryan Haverlah gave a presentation during the Oct. 3 council workshop, which outlined a proposed list of roadway and walking trail projects that could potentially be funded by state and federal funding, via the Killeen Temple Metropolitan Planning Organization (KTMPO).
KTMPO is a regional organization that is made up of a Transportation Planning Policy Board and a Technical Advisory Committee. The members are made up of city and county elected officials, or are appointed by those officials.
Copperas Cove is represented on the Policy Board by Mayor Dan Yancey, with other cities represented including Killeen, Harker Heights, Belton, and Temple, and counties represented to include Coryell, Bell, and Lampasas. 
The KTMPO boundary covers all of Bell County, parts of Coryell and Lampasas counties, portions of Fort Cavazos and encompasses the following cities: Bartlett, Belton, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Holland, Kempner, Killeen, Little River-Academy, Morgan’s Point Resort, Nolanville, Rogers, Salado, Temple, and Troy.
The full presentation that includes the full list of projects and maps can be found at https://destinyhosted.com/coppedocs/2023/CCW/20231003_2046/11926_KTMPO_C...
Altogether on the list, there are 15 possible projects which the council will be asked to prioritize for funding submission. The city must submit the prioritized projects by Oct. 27.
Among the Copperas Cove projects are widening Courtney Lane from F.M. 116 to Fairbanks, to make the roadway a three-lane road and add sidewalks on both sides. 
Another project is widening Avenue B/F.M. 1113 from North 1st Street all the way to the intersection of Bermuda Circle. 
One project, a follow-up to the Business 190 sidewalks and median is installing sidewalks on the north side of Business 190 from Constitution to Avenue D.
Another Business 190 project would be a two-phase project that would install medians and sidewalk on Business 190 from Avenue D all the way to Georgetown Road.
Yet another project is widening Big Divide Road from its intersection with Highway 190 all the way to Grimes Crossing Road.
One safety-related project is installing a pedestrian bridge or crossover of some type from North 17th Street/Avenue B to the high school.
Where parks and trails related projects are concerned, one project is a trail that goes along Kate Street Park. The walking trail would start at Margaret Lee Street, and run east along Kate Street Park, and would end at the intersection of Williams Street. 
Another possible trail would be the Lehmann Trail, which would start at Lehmann Drive at the south side of the Freedom Ranch subdivision, then head south toward City Park, then ending at Nick Nichols Parkway on the north side of City Park.
Haverlah said that while KTMPO funding will cover the construction costs of any of these projects, the city would be responsible for funding the project designs. For example, the city paid for the design of the Business 190 medians and sidewalks.
The upcoming meeting on Tuesday starts at 6 p.m., with a time of citizens forum at the start of the meeting, during which residents can give comments to the council. 
The council can also be contacted via email prior to the meeting.