Friday's Internet Edition, July 04, 2008.
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| Members of the Copperettes Junior Varsity perform a routine at the Spirit Spectacular Friday night at Bulldawg Stadium. Cove fans had their first chance to hear the Pride of Cove Marching Band, see the 2004-2005 Cove High cheerleaders as well as meet the football players and coaches. Copperas Cove kicks off the 2004 football season Friday with the Killeen Kangaroos come to town. – Photo by DENNIS KNOWLTON/covedawgs.com |
News editor - - Action by the Coryell County Commissioners Court has made it that much more closer to the day when there will be a reliever route in Copperas Cove.
In a letter addressed to County Judge John Hull, the Texas Department of Transportation stated they are preparing for improvements to Hwy. 190 at the Copperas Cove bypass. The letter also stated that additional right of way will be required in which the County will be required to participate with the cost.
The total cost asked from TxDOT is $66,000, which has been included in the Coryell County budget for fiscal year 2004-05.
The cost will include land values, fencing, and any other improvements affected by the project.
“We got a letter authorizing the transfer of funds to TxDOT this morning,” Hull said. “We have set the funds aside for the reliever route and will forward them to TxDOT for their use in acquiring the needed right of way.”
Hull said that the reliever route should allow for traffic to pass through Copperas Cove to where they need to go without having to wait at long lights and heavy traffic depending on time of day traveled.
“There have been quite a bit of wrecks on Hwy. 190 and it will be good to get some traffic relief,” Hull said. “This is the first positive progress from TxDOT in a long time. Its great to see them moving forward with this project.”
Copperas Cove Mayor Bradi Diaz said that the progress made by TxDOT would be beneficial to obtaining the right of way on property that will eventually host the reliever route.
“I think it is an important thing to strive to obtain the right of way,” Diaz said. “This will keep anyone from building or developing that land for something else, thus causing us to relocate the reliever route and costing everyone more money.”
According to Diaz, the Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization (K-TUTS), which is part of TxDOT, would have to approve the Unified Transportation Plan (UTP) for 2005 before it can actually begin purchasing right of way for the project.
With phase 1a of the reliever route already in progress, phase 1b is expected to be placed and approved in the 2005 UTP as well.
Phase 1b will allow for the construction of a farm to market road 3046/ FM 116 interchange and grade proposed U.S. Highway 190.
The estimated cost for the .3 mile road will be $10,500,000.
According to a presentation delivered by Copperas Cove City Manager Steve Alexander, K-TUTS prioritized this project as number 1 for the 10th year of the 2005 UTP.
The total length for the reliever route is expected to be 6.3 miles at a total cost of $72 million.
Under the estimate cost, $7,550.000 would be used for the purchase of right of way exclusive of Fort Hood land ROW contribution, $56,000,000 would be used for construction, $500,000 for utility reconstruction, $7,665,000 for engineering and design and $330,000 for environmental mitigation which includes the replacement of mixed deciduous woodlands for a total of $72,045,000.
Under this plan, Copperas Cove will contribute $1,455,000 for the purchase of right of way, $4,500,000 in construction, $500,00 for utility relocation and $100,000 for engineering and design for a total of $6,555,000.
The amount that Copperas Cove contributes to the project will include the amount provided by Coryell County.
According to the presentation given by City Manager Steve Alexander, the impact the route would have on Copperas Cove would be to reduce traffic by 30 percent on U.S. Hwy 190.
The first phase of the route includes the construction of a southbound frontage road from existing U.S. Hwy 190 to Old Copperas Cove Road. The estimated cost for the project is $1,000,000 for .8 miles. Currently, Copperas Cove has been adding infrastructure to the area.
Also in the presentation, there is a prediction of 20 percent per decade in population for Copperas Cove. This would have the total population for Cove at 35,517 for the year 2010.
So far in the project, the Major Investment Study has been completed as well as the Final Environment Impact Statement and the TxDOT ROW Map.