Marble Falls to fund new downtown lighting project
The plans for the new alternating light fixtures on Main Street. City of Marble Falls photo
Marble Falls City Council has approved a $429,429.50 downtown lighting project aimed at improving safety, visibility, and ambiance along Main Street.
The downtown lighting project will see the installation of new pedestrian lighting along Main Street from Second to Fourth streets, replacing existing median lights that city officials say do not adequately illuminate sidewalks and other pedestrian paths.
“(The current lighting is) great to have but the lumens don’t reach the pedestrian walkway,” City Engineer Jeff Prato told DailyTrib, adding that additional lighting is necessary for safety.
The project includes 18 new 20-foot poles that will alternate on both sides of Main Street. Lighting fixtures will be mounted on each pole and weather-resistant, programmable string lights suspended between them.
Construction is expected to take up to 120 days and will require the removal of the existing median poles, along with sidewalk and pavement restoration. The current poles remain in working condition and will be stored and repurposed. Originally intended for Second Street, the poles will be reused for one of several upcoming city projects.
“We aren’t sure exactly which project, but it will be the most imminent,” Prato told DailyTrib.
City Council approved the project at its Jan. 20 meeting, awarding the construction contract to Bobby Sanford LLC in an amount not to exceed $429,429.50. The contractor was selected as the best-value bidder rather than the lowest bidder due to its specialization in electrical installation and experience with similar projects.
“We were focused on a contractor that specializes in electrical installation,” Prato said during the meeting, noting the lowest bidder would likely rely on a subcontractor the city would not directly oversee.