Avenue D sidewalk project in homestretch

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press

The final phase of the City of Copperas Cove’s nearly $1 million downtown revitalization project is in the homestretch, with completion set for the end of the month of August. 
Along East Avenue D between Main Street and South 2nd Street, drivers should expect permanent changes as a result of the project, namely the addition of six parallel parking spots in front of Ledger Furniture, located in the 100 block of East Ave. D. 
Eastbound traffic will be one lane in that section of the block, but the two westbound lanes will stay the same, with one a right-turn-only onto North Main. 
“One eastbound lane has been removed through this project, but it opens back up to two lanes at 2nd Street,” Ken Roberts, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation’s Waco District office, wrote in an email. “Both westbound lanes remain intact.”
Two mature trees were removed by the city last week and replanted at the Hills of Cove Golf Course.
The three-phase project began in January 2017 and started with replacing sidewalks and adding ramps at the South 3rd Street intersection with Avenue D and continued eastward to where it will stop at the corner of South 2nd Street. 
On Thursday, the City of Copperas Cove issued a press release that noted another detour in downtown Copperas Cove. 
For the past few weeks both eastbound lanes of Avenue D, between Main Street and 2nd Street, have been temporarily closed. This temporary street closure will remain in effect for the duration of the Phase II construction, which is expected to last through late August 2017,” Kevin Keller, the city’s public information officer, stated. 
A detour has been established around the construction site, with motorists traveling north or south on Main Street not being permitted to permitted to turn east onto Avenue D. Also, motorists traveling east on Avenue D must either turn north or south on Main Street.
“We encourage the public, to include both pedestrians and motorists, to use caution while traveling in and around the designated construction site,” Keller added. 
The nearly $1,000,000 project funding comes from a total of four sources, the majority from the Texas Department of Transportation in the amount of $700,479. Those TxDOT grants are a combination of Category-9, Category-7, and Category-3 grant funding. 
The City of Copperas Cove is shelling out $227,252 of tax-supported funds for the project, with the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation contributing $82,361.90. The city’s Drainage Fund is spending $67,535.