Katy Railroad work underway in East Waco rail-trail project

The project, bid at $4.2 million, is partially funded by a $2.3 million contribution from the Texas Department of Transportation and a carbon reduction grant to the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization. Local contractor Barsh Construction was selected to build the 12-foot-wide, 1.23-mile concrete bike and footpath.

Waco capital improvements manager Jim Reed said the project officially kicked off in October and the trail will remain closed for about nine more months.

The first phase began at Faulkner Lane and Garrison Street and will continue along the railbed to Gholson Road. The second phase will run from the same start point to about Turner Street, and the final phase will finish the trail from Turner and Ashburn streets to a point near Dallas Street, Reed said.

A $469,000 grant through the federal Carbon Reduction Program will pay to plant trees along the trail. Reed said the trees will replace those removed during an earlier project to install a 30-inch-diameter water main between Riverside Treatment Plant and the Gholson Road storage tank, the reason for the city taking possession of the land in 2013.

Reed said the tree project is about 90% designed, but will begin after the trail is completed to create a natural buffer, aesthetic boundary and restore some tree canopy.

So far the contractor has cleared the way for the path, a substantial effort uncovering shopping carts, debris and old landfills filled with tires. Crews are working on grading and setting forms, and concrete can be seen near Garrison Street.

The trail will be anchored by two trailheads, one near the Dallas Street terminus and another at a partner development at Gholson Road, Reed said.

Local developer Brenner Campbell announced a housing development on 10 acres of his 36-acre property near Gholson Road and Herring Avenue. Next door, the Estella Maxey Place apartments, to be renamed Melody Grove, are set to undergo redevelopment soon.

Reed said the trail project will play into a larger network of bike and pedestrian connectivity, with another project planned to add bike lanes and sidewalks along Dallas Street between Ashburn Street and Elm Avenue. The Dallas Street project is funded by a $4.4 million grant from the federal Transportation Alternative Set-aside Program administered by TxDOT.

The Dallas Street reconstruction will include water and sewer utilities, streets, curbs and drainage as well as pedestrian elements, Reed said. The project likely will stretch into 2028.

Elm Avenue’s $12 million overhaul reconfigured the street in a shared lane structure for bikes and motorists and included continuous sidewalks. Then Elm Avenue provides access to the riverwalk and connects to Washington Avenue, which has bike lanes all the way to 18th Street, Reed said.

Another unused Union Pacific railroad right of way running between M. Lipsitz & Co. and Mann Street could present another opportunity tying to Elm Avenue, Reed said.

A larger piece has been considered to continue along the MKT railbed toward Industrial Boulevard in Bellmead and Lacy Lakeview, but first Waco will have to prove the usefulness of the trail, he said. The right time will likely come eventually, but the city will need to evaluate the complete project’s effectiveness before bringing in other entities, Reed said. Plus, having other cities on board one day will make for more competitive funding applications, he said.

Reed said he is looking forward to seeing what the project will offer the area, not only repurposing the railbed but also helping amplify the streets around it. The area, with dense vegetation and dead ends, has become attractive for illegal dumping, but by making it more visual and open he hopes the streets stay clean.