Dublin was a flurry of activity in recent weeks as city crews were joined by other organizations in improving infrastructure.
The intersection of Elm and Patrick was closed and a detour put in place as TxDOT began the first phase on working on drainage and the roadway on Dublin’s main street. Public Works director Cory James reported that new drainage systems will be installed under five intersections including Elm, Blackjack, Liveoak and Valley. Plans will have the construction crew closing one block at a time and instating detours as they work towards Dairy Queen.
The initial TxDOT announcement estimated the project to finish by fall 2026.
The crews are also removing the bricks and millings as they renovate the roadway, making for a more stable surface. Any useable materials are being taken to the city yard to be utilized.
Orange nets have also been spotted on streets like Park, Harris, Post Oak and Liveoak as Atmos Energy has started installing 33,000 feet of new pipe across most of town.
Nextlink crews were busy on Norton as they work on installing fiber internet and plan to service the entire town. Brightspeed will also be installing fiber but the majority of their work will be done on utility poles.
Dublin’s crews were busy recently as they finished up two rounds of patching last month, using 22 tons of mix. James said they will start on a third round when the supplier has a summer mix ready.
They have also been working on the demolition of two structures at 429 Highland and will finish up once the dumpsters are removed. James said the average demolition will fill six to eight dumpsters but the property took 11 because it was more than one building. Waste Connections helped the city in the process by offering a discount on the dumpsters.
City crews also had some extra work as three lines were hit within an hour of each other on Thursday, April 10: a sewer line at Hawk and Harris, a six inch water line on Norton and a 2 inch waterline on Patrick. James said residents around Norton had pressure reduced for a about an hour and half as they worked to fix and replace the 8 feet of pipe.
The next day, vibrations on Patrick ruptured a fitting and required replacement while a 2-inch line was struck on Norton.
James said water samples were taken and came back Monday clean for bacteria and not showing any other concerns.
James reported the city has a plan to get all roads in the city paved within 3-4 years and will be aided greatly if they sell the equipment approved for auction by city council Monday and are able to purchase a roller and chip spreader.