The reduction in traffic from Victoria’s previous Stay Home—Stay Safe orders proved to be a rare opportunity for much-needed road repairs and improvements.
“We have contractor crews everywhere,” said Public Works Director Ken Gill. “It was a mad dash to get as much work done as possible while traffic was reduced.”
Contractors have been available to handle the increased workload because they’re experiencing delays in other projects across the state, Gill said.
Contractor crews are taking extra care to practice proper hygiene and social distancing at the worksites. Workers use personal protective equipment at the sites, and one contractor set up a portable handwashing station for its workers.
The City’s $3.29 million Red River Street reconstruction project originally was slated for completion in November and now is on track to be finished in August or September.
Working around traffic on Red River Street historically has been difficult, especially in the area around St. Joseph High School, Gill said. Now that the high school facility temporarily is closed, contractor crews can work without having to accommodate school traffic or causing inconvenience for St. Joseph students, parents and staff. The project is slated for completion before the school opens up, Gill said.
A contractor recently completed the installation of a new pedestrian hybrid beacon, which will signal oncoming traffic to stop so that pedestrians can cross the street, on Ben Wilson Street at the University of Houston-Victoria campus. That, too, will be completed when students return to class.
The section of McCright Drive that had been closed for erosion repairs reopened April 16, allowing easier mobility for vehicles and pedestrians in Riverside Park, which remains open to the public.
The 2020 Crack Seal Project to repair cracks in asphalt roads in various locations around the city is in progress, with the contractor completing 50,000 linear feet of a 300,000-linear-foot contract.
City crews continue to fill potholes during this time, completing approximately 950 potholes since April 1.
For more information about Victoria’s road construction projects, contact Public Works at 361-485-3340.
PHOTO: Construction continues on Red River Street near St. Joseph High School.