FORT WORTH — Main Street in downtown Fort Worth has been slated for improvements across seven different intersections.
A public meeting was held on March 27, which was attended by The Dallas Express, to go over the proposed plans to improve the thoroughfare. Hosted by the City of Fort Worth’s Transportation & Public Works Department, the open house-style forum allowed the public to better understand the improvements.
The improvement plan proposes replacing the existing signal lights at the intersections of the first, second, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth streets. New powder-coated black poles and pedestrian traffic signals with PTZ cameras will be installed. There will also be new signage on the ATA ramps, and accessible ramps will be constructed where needed.
“We’re trying to install safety improvements throughout this corridor. It’s very important,” senior professional engineer Chad Allen said during the presentation. “We need to upgrade each of these intersections to meet current industry standards.”
There will also be an upgrade to the detection systems on the traffic signals, allowing for new radar and video functions. New cameras will also be installed on the signals.
“We’ll have the ability to install additional smart hardware out there on the traffic poles in the future. So we want to improve overall safety for all the users and then also make the traffic signals look better,” Allen said.
The city officials at the meeting noted that all restaurants and businesses will continue to be accessible through the corridor during renovations.
The design from Kansas-based Bartlett & West Inc. is expected to be finished in July, followed by the drawing up of a construction contract in the fall. Construction is slated to begin in early 2025 and will last for 12 months.
The project was funded as part of the city’s 2022 bond program. The budget for the project is approximately $2.3 million.
Allen encouraged community members to report problems with any streets to the city by texting “hello” to 817-835-6939 or calling the city call center at 817-392-1234.