COLDSPRING — During the July 6 meeting of the Coldspring City Council, Mayor John Benestante reported that construction on the new sidewalk is expected to be completed soon.
“The sidewalk project is winding down,” Benestante said.
However, there are some concerns with how the newly installed sidewalks along Pine Drive to SH 156 will impact the waterlines.
“There's a little controversy about all the concrete that's put towards the ditch because it's covering up the 6-inch water line in the middle of the ditch … and the question that I have for TxDOT is how we're going to get to it,” he said.
Benestante said that he has been in contact with San Jacinto County regarding the matter and was informed that the waterline is “probably at least 30 years old.” He cited leaks and disruptions as possibilities if new pumps are added to a waterline of that age due to excessive pressure.
Benestante proposes adding a new waterline as a safer alternative.
“Let's say we're concerned about it, but we think we have a solution and we’ll stay on top of that,” Benestante said.
On the other hand, Benestante reports that phase 2 of the new sidewalks have already been funded to run all the way down to the city’s courthouse. However, he cited issues near Paradise Grille, now operating as The Texas Grill under new ownership, and Paradise Gardens.
Benestante said that the sidewalks will cause the turn rate on the road to be a lot wider
“I don't know how to TxDOT is going to do this, but they said we’ll just move our highway over a little bit. I guess I have enough right away to shift it a little bit,” Benestante said.
Nevertheless, this project is designed to create more accessible conduits for pedestrian movement throughout the community, to enhance connectivity, and to promote alternative transportation for non-motorized travelers, as reported by Coldspring.
