Transportation
BY SAMANTHA DOUTY & ALEX REECE
First Street projects set to ease congestion for Prosper drivers
Ownsby Parkway reconstruction making progress in Celina Work to add six lanes to Ownsby Parkway between Preston Road and Coit Road is underway and on schedule, according to a March 29 report from Celina City Manager Robert Ranc. What you need to know Construction on the $19 million city-funded project began in October and is making signi cant progress, according to the report. Paving for Preston Road’s northbound right-turn lane onto Ownsby Parkway as well as paving for the Palomino Court and Bluewood Way connec- tions have been completed, and construction on the northside sidewalks and landscaping work began in early April. The westbound lanes should open to tra c by
Arizona, Colorado construction to begin Celina City Council awarded a contract to J&L Construction LLC for the construction of Arizona Drive and Colorado Drive. The April 9 council approval included a $3.12 million price tag not to exceed $3.59 million. It will be funded by the city. The details The project will reconstruct the roads from Ash Street to Cedar Street. The con- struction contract is for 300 days.
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Prosper’s First Street should accommodate more than double the number of cars once construction to widen the road and install new signals is nished, Engineering Director Hulon Webb said. “A two-lane road can handle 6,000-12,000 vehi- cles per day, where a four-lane divided road can handle 20,000-28,000 vehicles per day,” Webb said. Prosper’s population has more than tripled since 2012, according to town census data. “The projects will reduce tra c congestion and improve safety for drivers traveling in Prosper,” Webb said in an email. The breakdown Work to nish the multiple First Street proj- ects—which all have di erent schedules—has been underway since summer 2022, according to the town’s capital improvement projects dashboard. “The expansion of First Street from two lanes to four lanes divided with dedicated left-turn lanes, median openings and right-turn lanes will greatly
improve the safety for drivers along First Street as well as provide less congestion,” Webb said. The projects include constructing four lanes from: • Coit Road to Custer Road • Coleman Street to Craig Road • Teel Road to Gee Road
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• Stuber Elementary to Dallas Parkway • Dallas Parkway to Coleman Street
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the end of April, according to the report. Zooming out
Other First Street-related projects include add- ing new turn lanes and tra c signals, according to the project dashboard. Splitting the street into multiple individual projects instead of one larger project meant a timely design process and faster construction time, Webb said. Stay tuned Some segments of First Street, such as from Coit Road to Custer Road, are expected to nish construction by early May.
The construction one part of several road projects as the city adjust for its population growth. Celina’s population has skyrocketed in recent years, growing more than 476% from 2010 to October 2023, according to U.S. Census data. Stay tuned The entire six-lane project is expected to be completed in December, according to Celina’s capital improvement projects dashboard.
Construction on First Street is expected to greatly increase the road’s car capacity.
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ALEX REECE COMMUNITY IMPACT
PROSPER 950 S Preston Rd (469) 535-5539 LITTLE ELM 27100 Hwy 380 (972) 347-9630
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