Pecan Valley sidewalks one step closer

The Marble Falls City Council approved about $270,000 worth of engineering services for the Pecan Valley sidewalk project. The council hired Austin-based engineering consultant Aguirre & Fields LP to get started on the more than $1 million project.

Earlier this year, the city of Marble Falls received a Texas Department of Transportation grant to help fund the Pecan Valley sidewalks and other improvements. Per the grant agreement, the city will pay 20 percent of associated costs while TxDOT will cover the remaining 80 percent.

Along with sidewalks, other planned improvements in the Pecan Valley area, which is south of Johnson Park, include streetlights, striping, and signage. The city will also address drainage issues that have plagued Pecan Valley Drive by installing storm sewers, curbs, and gutters.

Before construction can begin, the city will undergo an engineering and bid process that can take anywhere from three to five months. 

“Knowing that the Pecan Valley area of town has been in need of drainage improvements for some time, I would like to see construction start as soon as feasibly possible,” Councilor Bryan Walker told DailyTrib.com.

Improvements will be along Pecan Valley Drive from Pecan Drive to about 400 feet south of Trinity Street. The city estimates the work will span roughly 3,500 linear feet.

The Pecan Valley project is part of a longtime effort by councilors and city officials to increase the walkability of Marble Falls, Mayor Richard Westerman said.

“We have probably been working toward more sidewalks for the past 25 years, simply because we don’t have a pedestrian system in the city of Marble Falls,” he told DailyTrib.com after the meeting. 

The council approved a sidewalk master plan for the city in June 2019. 

nathan@thepicayune.com