TEXARKANA - Roadwork beginning Wednesday will cause traffic detours around the downtown federal courthouse and post office for "several weeks," according to the city of Texarkana, Texas.
The work will shut down large portions of the roadway around the courthouse. Detours and traffic control will be made available to drivers.
Crews will remove the existing asphalt, the original brick street beneath it and the concrete road bed. Then they will install a new base and asphalt while reusing some of the bricks for a portion of the street on the south, or front, side of the courthouse.
On the southbound, Texas side of North State Line Avenue, the right, outside, lane north of the building will become a right turn only lane and the left, inside, lane will continue around the building's west side.
Other improvements at the site will include new ground lighting fixtures, water line replacement and installation of a sprinkler system, and new sidewalks, crosswalks and ramps expected to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. There will also be a new tourist information kiosk, public art, expanded green space and an area for food truck vendors.
Work on the Courthouse Square Connections Project began in late August 2020. The Texas side will pick up most of the cost, more than $742,000, through capital improvement bonds, and the Arkansas side is contributing more than $215,000 as in-kind labor. The Arkansas-side Advertising and Promotion Commission and a National Endowment for the Arts grant also contributed funds.
Project partners include the Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce, the Texarkana Arts and Historic District and the Wilbur Smith Rotary Club. A team of local residents has been involved with the project's planning as part of activity with the civic group Leadership Texarkana.
Those with questions can call the Texas-side Public Works Department at 903-798-3948.