Funding available under three Capital Improvements Programs means the City of Lawton is ramping up work on Lawton arterials and in residential housing areas.

In fact, city streets will be the topic of a special meeting of the City Council on Oct. 30, as they were during a recent meeting of the CIP Citizens Watchdog Committee.

Funding for arterials and city streets is included in the 2005, 2008 and 2012 CIPs, and a number of the prioritized projects are recently completed, under construction, or in the design phase preparing for construction, said Public Works Director Jerry Ihler.

City staff members are ramping up some of the residential projects, a special area of emphasis in the 2008 and 2012 CIPs. Ihler said there are 21 projects and $1.6 million remaining in the 2008 program, the first CIP that designated funds specifically to each ward for residential street work that was determined by the council representative and/or residents.

The good news: All streets initially targeted for reconstruction in the 2008 CIP have been completed, and the remaining streets are those identified for asphalt overlay. The bad news: Harsh weather has damaged some "overlay streets" to the point of reconstruction, which is part of the discussion that Public Works will have with council members Oct. 30.

$4 million worth of priorities
The other part of that council discussion will center on streets included in the 2012 CIP. Ihler said city staff members will ask the council to identify $4 million worth of street priorities, so design plans may begin on them (meaning those streets will be ready for construction when the time comes). Streets officials want input, Ihler said, noting staff has identified 11 streets that are "safety concerns," meaning they have damage that poses threats to vehicular traffic and should be upgraded immediately.

City staff already has a good idea about some council priorities, including work in Ward 3 to continue upgrades to Northwest 35th Street between Northwest Ferris and Northwest 34th Street, and work in Ward 5 to rebuild Southwest 27th Street between West Lee Boulevard and Southwest J Avenue.

Read the Full Story...