Megan Navarro
WIMBERLEY — Wimberley City Council received a presentation on the Downtown Ranch Road 12 Sidewalk Project during its Dec. 19 meeting.
The scope of the project includes continuous sidewalk on the south and/or west side of RR 12, with spots of sidewalk along the north and/or east side of the road and a pedestrian crossing with a pedestrian beacon, explained project manager Ryan Bell.
The project is currently in the design phase, with the team and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) receiving the 30% design submittal earlier in the year. When these were submitted, TxDOT made a comment that there would be a gap along the north and west side, if there was not a continuous sidewalk.
“So, when that comment was made, we looked at it, looked at what would be required to install a sidewalk and it would disrupt a lot of existing head-in parking that is using the right-of-way there,” he explained. “The message has been communicated to [TxDOT] that the city wants to move forward with the design as it was initially scoped. I anticipate that they are understanding of that now and will clear that comment that had been basically stopping us from submitting 60%.”
Now, following that clarification with TxDOT, the design team is focused on finishing up the 60% submittal, Bell said, and they are anticipating that in January, with a September “letting date” for the project.
Council member Rebecca Minnick asked when construction would take place for the project.
Bell responded that “we’ll say, generally, around probably the beginning of [2027]. It’s a two- or three-month process because it will be bid and constructed through the TxDOT system. We will complete the plans, hand it to them and then, they will run bidding and construction, so it will be in their schedule and procedures. I would anticipate probably two to four months between bidding and the start of construction.”
Wimberley City Council meets next at 6 p.m. Jan. 15.
