Dietz Elkhorn Road improvements starting

FAIR OAKS RANCH — Residents can expect major improvements to one of the city’s major corridors with construction slated to begin in August on Dietz Elkhorn Road at a cost of $5.5 million.

According to a presentation July 29, the Dietz Elkhorn Road Reconstruction Project calls for betterments to 1.2 miles of the road between Fair Oaks Parkway and FM 3351.

Planners said repairs are necessary due to the roadway’s deteriorating condition.

City officials describe the initiative as an effort to improve roadway safety, address aging infrastructure and enhance mobility for motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and golf-cart users.

The existing roadway is 28 feet to 29 feet wide and consists of two 11-foot travel lanes, a 5-foot paved shoulder on the north side, and a narrow 1- to 2-foot paved shoulder on the south side.

Bar ditches line both sides of the lanes Under the reconstruction plan, the road will retain its two 11-foot travel lanes while expanding the southside paved shoulder to 5 feet, matching the shoulder width on the north side. The project also includes drainage improvements, utility and driveway adjustments, and the installation of a new 12-inch water main beneath the north shoulder.

Project Manager and Public Works Direct Grant Watanabe said the design was selected to lessen the impact on existing utilities and drainage systems and still keep the bar ditches.

Only minor roadway centerline adjustments are anticipated, and no additional right-of-way acquisition will be required, officials said.

The combined project is estimated to cost $5.56 million, officials said.

The design phase is finished, with construction expected to last 12 to 15 months once work begins.

Input from the community also played a role in shaping the project, officials said.

Surveys and town hall meetings indicated residents wanted a safer, more efficient route that better accommodates different kinds of vehicles.