TxDOT finds Avenue D intersection too narrow

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

Although at the time of its completion in October 2017, the Avenue D downtown sidewalk and drainage project was said to have lanes wide enough for Texas Department of Transportation standards, that wasn’t the case, at least for one section of eastbound Avenue D. 
Last fall, when asked about the project and the width of the leans, the City of Copperas Cove said the Avenue D lanes were 10 feet wide from curb line to center line as per TxDOT standards. Avenue D, also part of F.M. 1113, is part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s roadway system and falls under those state specifications and actual lane requirements.
However, the lane was one foot too narrow at the intersection of Avenue D and South 1st Street. 
“TxDOT required adjustments be made to the curbs in that location due to an unacceptable lane width on an on-system road,” stated Kenneth Roberts, public information officer for TxDOT’s Waco District. 
He said TxDOT received complaints from motorists about that particular intersection, so it was measured and found to be at least 12-18 inches too narrow. 
“The current width was just over 9 feet and it would be necessary to push it back to 11 feet from centerline to the face of curb, which is the standard,” Roberts said. “We advised the City and the consultant that it would need to be corrected in order to adhere to approved TxDOT specs.  The parking spaces also needed to be adjusted as well, so the lines wouldn’t stick out into the roadway, but the current width is still sufficient.”
Roberts did say there are no other sections of the project with issues that need to be addressed.
The eastbound lane of Avenue D starting at its intersection of South 1st Street to Main Street was closed for Wednesday and Thursday while the curbs were narrowed. 
As part of the downtown revitalization projected, Avenue D was decreased to one eastbound lane from South Main Street to South 2nd Street with the addition of parallel parking places in front of Ledger Furniture. That loss of one lane was a part of the design approved by the Copperas Cove city council, with TxDOT also accepting and approving the project. 
There are some details to be completed with the project, that of installation of new street lamps, and Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful will install xeriscaping at several places this spring, with the planting of crape myrtle and the use of crushed granite.  
The nearly $1,000,000 project came from a combination of Texas Department of Transportation grant funds, with the City of Copperas Cove spending $227,252 of tax-supported funds, the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation contributing $82,361.90 and $67,535 coming from the city’s drainage fund.