College Station City Council shares vision for landscaping for State Highway 6 widening project
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -The City of College Station is finalizing an agreement with TxDOT to install and maintain landscaping for the new Highway Six widening project. The plan is to widen State Highway 6 from Highway 21 in Bryan to Barron Road in College Station. Construction starts next year and is expected to last five years.
On Monday, College Station city leaders reviewed landscaping options for the State Highway 6 widening project, focusing on plantings at intersections and the number of trees. The City council directed staff to proceed with intersection plantings at University Drive and SH 6.
The City Council chose to partner with TXDOT on Option 3a, planning to plant 2,500 trees along seven corridors at no upfront cost to the city. However, annual maintenance is expected to range between $200,000 and $250,000.
“The city would upfront the cost for these if this is what we want to do and maintain them, but the TXDOT contractor would install everything as part of the contract,” stated College Station Director of Public Works Emily Fisher.
The Council also decided to plant 400 more trees in 28 locations, including a future shared bike and pedestrian path near University Drive, with a cost of $520,000. The estimated annual maintenance for these areas is between $100,000 and $200,000.
City leaders believe the investment in maintaining the gateway to the city is worthwhile, emphasizing the impact of trees on the aesthetics of the area.
“How many times have you driven into a city or a community and thought, don’t these people have any pride?” remarked College Station Councilwoman Linda Harvell.
However, some council members expressed concerns about prioritizing appearances over other city needs. Councilman Bob Yancy emphasized the importance of saving money for the city, particularly for purposes like public safety.
City staff is exploring ways to minimize upfront costs and future maintenance expenses for the plantings.
Presentations from Monday’s council meeting are below.
