Several yearslong construction projects in East Dallas are scheduled for completion in early 2020. Here are the ones to watch:
Gus Thomasson Road
After more than two years of construction, the Gus Thomasson Road project is nearing completion.
The completion date is scheduled for January 2020. Last week, the contractor performed pavement work and soil stabilization from Casa View to San Medina Avenue, District 9 City Councilwoman Paula Blackmon said. The soil stabilization is almost complete on the north side, except for a few small areas that are being excavated.
Construction on Gus Thomasson began in October 2017 as part of a project to revitalize the Casa View neighborhood.
East Lawther Drive from Garland Road to Poppy Drive:
East Lawther Drive is almost complete after being closed for more than a year to replace aging infrastructure.
The project included installing about 9,000 linear feet of water mains and 6,000 linear feet of wastewater mains to improve the water delivery and wastewater collection systems. The contractor has completed the construction of all water and wastewater pipes and is finishing the last manhole at Garland Road and East Lawther Drive, Blackmon said.
Paving restoration was scheduled for completion at the end of December 2019. The contractor has brought in a second crew to expedite the project, which is expected to finish by the end of January 2020.
Lakeland Bridge:
Improvements on the Lakeland Bridge are expected to be complete in April 2020, weather permitting
The first bridge near Lakeland Drive and Ash Grove Way was completed in November 2018. Construction on the second bridge is progressing on Lakeland between Arturo Drive and Eustis Avenue.
The contractor has finished surveying and staking the project site, as well as removing and trimming trees. It has also completed the bridge foundation, bridge columns and caps.
Between now and April, the contractor will work on completing the gabion structure, bridge superstructure, railing, striping, sidewalk and driveways. Construction of the gabion walls is scheduled to be done by early January.
No public access is allowed through the construction zone on Lakeland until the second bridge is open to traffic.
Anyone with questions can contact project manager Anshi (Jason) Jin at 214-671-0492 or anshi.jin@dallascityhall.com.
West Lawther Bridge:
A structural engineer recommended replacing the West Lawther Bridge and leaving it closed to vehicular traffic after a gap appeared between the bridge deck and the steel girder.
The bridge, built in 1940 over Rush Creek as a single-span bridge with concrete abutments, closed to traffic in 2019 after the engineer found a deep scour had undermined the bridge footings supporting the west abutment.
The following is an estimated schedule for the design and construction of the bridge:
Begin design: October 2019
Complete design: January 2020
Start construction: May 2020
Complete construction: March 2021
As part of this year’s budget, the Dallas City Council approved $1 million for the Department of Public Works to establish a bridge maintenance program. The City Council will utilize the program to address bridges that need repair or replacement, such as the Lawther Bridge.
