1. Why are there no right-turn lanes on some of the major intersections? For example, Boat Club Road turning east on Bailey Boswell and the same goes for Cromwell Marine Creek.
RESPONSE:
Boat Club Rd. is a TxDOT roadway built in the 1960’s when traffic volumes were much lower. Growth has outpaced existing capacity, but improvements are planned to widen the road to 6 lanes from Azle Avenue to Peden Rd. The improvements will include right-turn lanes at the main east-west corridors. The schedule is controlled by funding as well as TxDOT’s design, ROW acquisition, utility relocation and permitting timelines. TxDOT estimates to start construction in 2030 or later.
The current traffic control plan for the Water Department project on Boat Club Rd does not allow for a designated right-hand turning lane. The Department has shared that they expect to reopen the lanes in November.
All the current City-led projects in the area include right and left turn lanes.
2. I have several questions regarding the simultaneous construction affecting Boat Club Road, Bailey Boswell Road, W.J. Boaz Road, and Cromwell Marine Creek Road. I have significant concerns about the coordination, timing, execution, and safety of these projects.
I also want to call out that the construction of Old Decatur at Bailey Boswell through to Park has not been called out as an additional construction project with overlap and that’s a big miss. This is yet another alternative route that is not available for residents to use.
RESPONSE:
Intersection improvements on Cromwell Marine Creek Rd at Huffines Blvd and Bowman Roberts were approved by voters in May 2018 as part of the 2018 Bond Program. As a result of requests during public engagement, the project scope was increased to widen the entire corridor from two to four lanes from Boat Club Rd to Marine Creek Pkwy. The larger project required including the additional construction funding needs in the 2022 Bond Program, thus the delay in construction start time. With a larger project footprint, a longer franchise utility relocation process was a factor in the timing of the start of construction.
Both WJ Boaz and W Bailey Boswell were added to the 2022 Bond Program in response to public requests.
Development, fire suppression, water pressure reliability and other aspects of city life are impacted by a large water transmission main project like the 54-inch along Boat Club Rd. Construction of this type of project must be timely.
Bond funded projects are expected to be constructed as soon as possible to maintain the ability to fund more projects to relieve congestion. The city has already delayed the construction of WJ Boaz Rd and will monitor completion of Bailey Boswell Rd before starting WJ Boaz’s construction.
The Old Decatur Rd project is a City of Saginaw project within its city limits which is expected to be complete by January 2027.
3. Why was Bailey Boswell construction scheduled to begin around the start of the school year while surrounding roads were already under construction? What consideration was given to school traffic, bus routes, and working families?
RESPONSE:
Funding obligation deadlines drive construction timing. The city has been in continued coordination with the EMSISD since the early design stages of the project Bailey Boswell Rd. Several coordination meetings were held regarding school year start and public notifications were sent out by both the City and EMSISD. Unfortunately, construction of these large projects will take 18-24 months and will always impact the school calendar year.
4. Why are lengthy stretches of roadway restricted simultaneously rather than completing and reopening smaller sections sequentially?
Why do these roads remain restricted during evenings and weekends when crews are not actively working?
Has the city evaluated the cost of additional crews, extended hours, or weekend construction against the economic impact on local businesses and the cumulative time residents spend in traffic? What would acceleration cost, and how much time could realistically be saved?
RESPONSE:
Constructing a multi-mile long corridor in shorter segments increases cost significantly due to multiple mobilizations by subcontractors and crews. It also extends the overall duration of construction. With a fixed budget, investing additional dollars in shorter segment construction would reduce the number of projects the city is able to deliver on any given year.
Construction zones with lane shifts and dropoff areas can be hazardous. Traffic control devices must remain in place, even when workers are not present, until the roadway is safe for the traveling public.
5. What formal process does the city have for proactively identifying, tracking, and resolving safety hazards created by construction?
I have personally had to make three separate calls regarding malfunctioning turn signals. Additionally, some intersections have become extremely difficult to navigate safely, particularly when attempting left turns. Drivers are forced to wait for openings in traffic while blocking vehicles behind them.
These roads are used daily by newly licensed teenage drivers, school buses full of children, and families commuting to work.
Are construction-affected intersections routinely inspected? Are repeat complaints? What response times are required for malfunctioning signals or dangerous traffic patterns?
Most importantly, who is accountable for ensuring a reported hazard is resolved rather than simply documented?
RESPONSE:
Safety is a top priority for the city. Each project requires a street use permit issued to the contractor to work in the public right-of-way. The permit requires a signed and sealed traffic control plan (TCP). This traffic control plan is reviewed by the project team to ensure compliance with the Texas Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices to ensure safety within work zones. The city inspector is responsible for ensuring the traffic control devices are maintained and normally inspects the TCP daily during business hours.
Traffic signal components are often damaged during construction. The contractor, inspector, and transportation management staff work together to resolve signal malfunctions during construction within a few days based on the extent of the damage and availability of the parts and components. When safety issues are reported to city staff, the project manager is responsible for coordinating with the contractor and inspector to ensure safety hazards are addressed in a timely manner.
6. What coordination is occurring between Fort Worth Police, local school districts, and construction contractors to manage traffic during school arrival and dismissal?
Could the city temporarily assign officers or trained traffic control personnel to particularly congested intersections near schools, including along Bailey Boswell Road?
Has the city evaluated adjusting signal timing, assisting with difficult turning movements, increasing traffic enforcement, or implementing school-specific traffic control plans during construction?
These are extraordinary traffic conditions resulting from overlapping city projects. What additional safety measures can be implemented to protect students, school buses, and surrounding drivers?
RESPONSE:
Continued coordination has taken place between the city, contractors and the EMSISD for both the Bailey Boswell and Cromwell Marine Creek projects. As result, the following improvements have been made to the Bailey Boswell project: (1) Signal timing adjustments have been implemented for the signal at Navigation Dr. (2) the project phasing has been modified to better accommodate in/outbound school traffic (3) a temporary cross walk is to be installed west of Twin Mills Blvd to facilitate pedestrian traffic to and from Boswell High. EMSISD Police coordinates with Fort Worth PD to manage traffic during peak hours.
All construction traffic control plans are designed and reviewed by professional engineers with a focus on safety by all users.
7. What requirements do the city have to maintain access to businesses during construction, and what recourse do business owners have when entrances are blocked or significantly restricted? Beyond the anticipated completion dates, what immediate actions are the city taking to improve traffic flow and safety?
RESPONSE:
The city ensures the contractor follows approved engineering plans, schedules, and traffic control plans. The contractor is required to always maintain ingress and egress to all properties, including the provision of temporary accessibility routes where needed. The City inspector plays a key role in resolving issues by working directly with the contractor and meeting onsite with residents and businesses as needed. Business owners who find their access blocked should contact the assigned City inspector or use the MYFW app to report the situation.
All traffic control plans are thoroughly reviewed and approved by the city, and the traffic control in place is intended to ensure public and workers’ safety.
8. Can the city provide a coordinated construction schedule across all four corridors, identify opportunities to reopen completed sections sooner, and outline specific improvements residents can expect in the next 30, 60, and 90 days?
RESPONSE:
City has created a webpage where information about the transportation projects in the Northwest Fort Worth area can be found:
https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/tpw/northwest-fw
This webpage includes construction milestones for the projects in question as well as a single chart showing construction schedules for the various projects in reference to each other.
In addition, every project has its own webpage within the City's website. A link to each project is available on the webpage listed above. It is also possible to type the name of the project in the SEARCH field on the City’s main website to find the project webpage containing up to date information.
The capital projects teams regularly assess when opportunities arise to accelerate projects and reopen lanes when safe and feasible. As an example, the project team has worked with the Cromwell Marine Creek contractor to open the traffic lanes earlier than previously planned.
9. When they close Boaz for more construction how will Elkins Elementary school be able to run drop off and pickup? Are there any plans to stagger the constructions? Before we begin construction on Boaz, will the projects on Marine Creek and Boat Club be completed?
RESPONSE:
City staff and the contractor will work closely with the Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD before and during construction to coordinate any significant traffic control changes on WJ Boaz Rd. Maintaining safe and reasonable access to the school will be an important consideration during construction.
Staff is monitoring the progress on all surrounding projects and the impacts on the traveling public. This will be an important factor in deciding when to proceed with construction on WJ Boaz Rd.