The Bryan city council has learned it has another $2.5 million dollars to spend next year on capital improvement projects.
During a recent workshop, the council directed staff to explore some ideas.
First on the list, is spending $2 million to design the rebuilding of William Joel Bryan Parkway from Texas to the freeway. That’s in order to access 11 million in construction money from the state through the metropolitan planning organization.
The council is also looking into starting the process of repairing 14 Little League fields. As a group, the price tag is $1.5 million dollars. But by individual location, the cost is as little as $15,000. Mayor Andrew Nelson asked city manager Kean Register about options.
Another $230,000 would be spent on acquiring right of way for a future extension of Thornberry Drive. Public Works director Jayson Barfknecht says it provides an option to the freeway on the east side of Bryan.
Some of the new money would build new city of Bryan gateway monuments along the freeway…drawing a lighter moment from councilman Mike Southerland who asked if Bryan’s monuments would be larger compared to College Station.
Mayor Andrew Nelson had only one requirement for the monument inscriptions, saying “simple and readable is always good.”
The workshop discussion also included what can be done to expedite a railroad “quiet zone” through Bryan. The city manager told the mayor he would visit with Union Pacific to find out how much the railroad is willing to invest to reduce the number and the volume of train horns. That will also involve closing an unknown number of street crossings over railroad tracks.
Click HERE to be directed to the city of Bryan’s future capital improvement projects webpage.
