A unanimous vote was cast Tuesday by Brownwood City Council to approve plans and specifications and authorize the city staff to seek bids for the reconstruction of Fisk Street from Austin Avenue to Main Street.

According to City Manager Bobby Rountree, the project is approximately 4000 linear feet and 40 feet wide.  The roadway will be excavated approximately 1 foot in places, up to 3 feet in the center and replaced by a new road bed of 8 inches of black base and 1.5 inches of hot mix.

“The use of the black base as opposed to flex base will allow traffic to be on the roadway faster and reduce or eliminate dust issues,” said Rountree.

He explained that the traffic signals at Adams Street, Baker and South Broadway will be upgraded to comply with ADA standards along with additions and upgrades to sidewalks at the intersections to comply with ADA.  There will be no changes to the existing street lighting.

A minimum amount of underground utility work will be completed; manholes and valve boxes will require some adjusting, according to Rountree.

The sequence of work will limit construction of the roadway in sections of two or three blocks at a time, except for the initial milling of the top surface, which can be performed at one time.  Parking will remain available on side streets.  Demolition and construction of 87 ADA ramps at intersections will be the most time consuming part of the project, according to Rountree.  Upon completion of the road surface, paving markings will be installed.

Funding of the project is through the Certificates of Obligation sold in 2012.  The engineer’s cost estimate is approximately $1.23.  Bids will be presented to the council at the last meeting in March.

The time frame for completion of the project is approximately 12 months.  The project does not include replacing sidewalks and lighting, which were estimated to cost approximately $830,000 and can be done at a later time.  The remaining funds from the COs can be used on neighborhood projects, according to Rountree.