Officials surprised about feedback on road

DESLOGE – It’s been approximately a week since the Highley Lane connector road opened up and Desloge officials are a bit surprised about the feedback they are getting about it. The connector road connects Highley Lane to Desloge Drive.

&#8220I thought the connector road would primarily service the residents along Adams Road and Highley Lane,” said Desloge City Administrator Eric Wiederhold. &#8220However, I am hearing that residents from other parts of the city are saying that they prefer the route as an alternate entrance to Wal-Mart.”

The connector road is part of the $600,000 Highley Lane Improvement Project. The price tag for the project is being paid for by Tax Increment Financing proceeds.

&#8220We are completely reconstructing Highley Lane,” Wiederhold said. &#8220It’s getting a new road base surface, new asphalt, storm drains and curbing and guttering. We are also going ahead and installing a water main. We have limited easements along Highley Lane and there are places where the water main would have to run under the road. We did not want to have to tear up a road that we just reconstructed so we are going ahead and putting it in now.”

Wiederhold said once the main is completed it will be pressure tested and capped until further construction of Desloge’s new water system is completed.

Wiederhold said the city contracted with Jokerst in June to do the project. The contracted completion date for the reconstruction of Highley Lane is Dec. 9.

&#8220There is a question of a possible delay due to the relocation of an SBC phone line,” Wiederhold said. &#8220However, as of right now the contract calls for the project to be completed by Dec. 9 and no extensions have been granted as of yet.”

Wiederhold said between Hawthorne and Adams Road, Highley Lane will run one-way.

&#8220Traffic will travel east only because we were unable to obtain easements to make it a two-way street through that section,” Wiederhold said.