Trimmer, Watercrest construction scheduled for completion in 2010 Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 3 2009 05:09 AM By Hailey Persinger
Killeen Daily Herald

The city of Killeen is simultaneously tackling two of what public works Director Jim Butler calls "the biggest and most needed" projects.

Phase two of the Trimmier Road widening project and phase one of the Watercrest Road reconstruction project shut down segments of both roads Monday.

Both projects will last through the winter, with the Trimmier Road widening slated to end in early 2010 and the second phase of the Watercrest Road project scheduled to be complete in May 2010.

Hilary Shine, Killeen's director of public information, said voters approved the projects during a bond election in 2002 but the debt was not let until recently.

The Trimmier Road widening will cost $2.4 million and the Watercrest Road project, which will eventually widen Watercrest Road all the way to Clear Creek Road, carries a $5.9 million price tag.

A major concern for both roads, she said, is the number of drivers who use both roads regularly.

"When they were built there weren't as many neighborhoods and houses," she said. "They weren't carrying as much traffic. This is to deal with the increased traffic on both roads."

Improving the drainage system on Watercrest Road is also a priority for the city since heavy rains can typically lead to the road flooding. In the past, the city has had to cut off traffic on Watercrest Road to deter drivers from flooded areas.

Butler said reconstruction of the road will raise its surface about six to eight feet, which will keep traffic flowing even during torrential rains.

Once construction and widening of Watercrest Road is complete, the city also plans to raise the speed limit.

While crews work on both projects, motorists will be required to take detours unless they are driving to their homes. Maps of detours for both projects can be found on the city's Web site at www.ci.killeen.tx.us and drivers will need to use the alternate routes until the projects' completions in the spring.

"That all depends on how wet a winter we have," he said, "but by and large that's what we're shooting for."

Contact Hailey Persinger at haileyp@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7568.