Two years after receiving the prestigious Governor’s Community Achievement Award (GCAA) for outstanding community improvement and a $110,000 grant, Keep Whitesboro Beautiful (KWB) will finally reap the benefits of their reward.
Each year, Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB), along with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), recognizes 10 winners of the GCAA. In addition to receiving a stately cast aluminum metal plaque, the 10 winning communities share $2 million in landscape funding for a project to be completed by TxDOT along a state-maintained roadway.
The KWB board formed a committee to seek input and manage the project. Finally, after meeting with representatives at TxDOT, the organizations are able to move forward with their project.
The morning of Monday, Oct. 19, TxDOT will begin the installation of a landscaping project in the median peninsula at the intersection of Hwy. 377 and Unionn Street. The project will include the installation of a series of life-sized horse silhouettes cut from sheet steel as a nod to the horse industry prevalent in the area. This will all be installed around the concrete Whitesboro sign that exists there currently.
KWB asks drivers to be mindful of the work being done in the area. Watch for workers and equipment. The project is expected to be completed by Dec. 18.
Meanwhile, in Collinsville, construction on a downtown sidewalk improvement project is expected to begin Monday, Oct. 19, according to a letter distributed to local business owners by Keep Collinsville Beautiful (KCB).
The project, which will focus on sidewalks on the west side of downtown, is the result of KCB receiving the GCAA in 2023.
According to the Oct. 8 letter from KCB representative Betty Graham, barricades are expected to be installed Friday, Oct. 16, with construction beginning the following Monday.
The project is scheduled for completion by Dec. 18.
Tight Line Construction LLC of Lufkin has been selected as the prime contractor for the Texas Department of Transportation project.
Graham said representatives of KCB recently met with TxDOT engineers and the contractor to discuss the construction schedule and its potential impact on downtown businesses.
The Collinsville project is being coordinated with a similar sidewalk improvement project in Whitesboro, with the construction timeline designed to accommodate work in both communities.
Although construction is expected to affect access to some downtown businesses, Graham said contractors have pledged to minimize disruptions.
“They have assured us that they will make every effort to minimize disruption of your business operations,” Graham wrote in the letter.
Business owners will also have an opportunity to communicate directly with construction crews about their operating schedules.
According to Graham, contractors will work with merchants to coordinate construction activities around their business hours whenever possible.
The improvements represent the culmination of KCB’s 2023 GCAA, which recognized the organization’s efforts to improve the community.
The project is intended to enhance the appearance of downtown Collinsville while improving pedestrian access to local businesses.
“We are excited about getting this project completed for our downtown area and it will improve the appearance and access to your place of business,” Graham wrote.
