City council approves issuance of $26 million in road bonds

City council approves issuance of $26 million in road bonds Main Photo

17 Jan 2022


By: George Slaughter - Katy Times

The Katy City Council Monday approved the issuance of $26 million worth of bonds to be used in road reconstruction projects around the city.

David Kasper, a city engineer who is also a principal at ARKK Engineers, told the council that the bonds would support four projects on the overall mobility plan. The projects are intended to provide drainage, mobility, and traffic improvements, he said.

Katy-Hockley Road expansion

Kasper said the widening of Katy-Hockley Road from Morton Road to Clay Road involves expanding from a two-lane road to a four-lane concrete roadway with storm sewers.

Estimated cost to $7.7 million.

Morton Road expansion

Kasper said the widening of Morton Road from Katy-Hockley Road to Pitts Road involves expanding a two-lane road to a four-lane undivided road. The project includes a replacement of the bridge crossing the Cane Island branch of Buffalo Bayou.

Estimated cost is $7.7 million.

Pederson Road expansion

Kasper said the widening of Pederson Road from Interstate 10 to U.S. 90 involves expanding from a two-lane road to a four-lane concrete roadway with storm sewers.

Estimated cost is $4.2 million.

Pitts and Morton Road intersection

Kasper said the Pitts Road at Morton Road intersection realignment involves realigning Pitts Road at Morton Road to align the new Pitts Road and Cane Island with the existing Pitts Road north of Morton Road. He said the work involves a new concrete boulevard pavement, traffic signal, and proposed storm system sewer. A proposed storm sewer system.

“Right now, the two roads are offset, if you’ve been there recently,” Kasper said. “We’re going to realign those and signalize that intersection.”

Estimated cost is $2.4 million.

Bond issuance cost is $1.1 million.

The council’s approval means the bonds can be sold. Each individual project must be authorized, with design phase and bids. The authority and the council must both approve the design and bid before construction begins.

Kasper briefly described some other projects that are not associated with the bond and would be paid for by cash. They include:

  • Extending Boardwalk Drive to Katy-Fort Bend Road, for $2.4 million.
  • Extending Prairie Parkway from the Katy Boardwalk to Kingsland Drive, for $1.9 million.
  • Widening 1st Street from Bartlett Road to Avenue D and replacing the 1st Street bridge, planned for 2022-23, $2.7 million.
  • Adding a second boulevard lane on Cane Island Parkway from Swift to Franz Road, planned for 2023, for $1.9 million.
  • Adding a second boulevard lane on Pitts Road from Cane Island Parkway to Morton Road, planned for 2024, for $1.7 million.

Kasper said the total of the nine projects and the bond issuance costs was $33.5 million.

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