ST0004-CS010112T H E C 1 T Y O F
COPPELL
January 12, 2001
Bruce R. Bradford
183 Newport Drive
Coppell, Texas 75019
Dear Bruce:
Thank you for your letter of January 9. I am sorry it took me a couple days to respond, but I have been
busy catching up from the holiday season.
There is no doubt that the Freeport Parkway reconstruction project has escalated in its importance just in
recent months due to rapid continued deterioration. Unfortunately, to continue to do asphalt patch jobs
and cut out small sections of the road and patch them is not going to address the continued deterioration
that we see on almost a weekly basis. Therefore, we took action just this week in moving the bid letting
for the reconstruction up to March of this year. So, reconstruction will begin much earlier than
anticipated. We anticipate that it will be six -to -nine months once the bids are let that the project will be
completed. And of course, there will be some inconvenience at least through the first semester of next
year at Coppell Middle School West.
There is no really different way of repairing those, as you call them "fairly concentrated areas of
pavement" rather than complete reconstruction. The problems go down to the base, and involve what we
believe were inadequate specifications prepared years ago involving saw cuts that were not required on
pavement with less than 24 inches to 3 feet. What we plan to do is borrow from Peter to pay Paul and
issue bonds in October, while at the same time paying for this project through money that is designated at
this time for improvements at MacArthur and Belt Line. The Freeport Parkway project has become an
emergency situation.
I wish I could provide some acceptable mediation short of full reconstruction, but in the end it is a
bottomless pit on Freeport Parkway and the only way to permanently solve the situation is reconstruction.
Of course, we will still patch on a regular basis so no major sinkholes will go unrepaired.
I appreciate your comments and interest, and I assure you that we have been evaluating this for the last
month in light of the rapid deterioration that has occurred in the last three months. If you have any other
questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. I also would like to thank you for your
continued interest in Coppell and your service on the Economic Development Partnership.
bcc: Ken Griffin
255 PARKWAY * P-0-BOX 478 * COPPELL TX 75019 * TEL 972/462 0022 * FAX 972/304 3673
Bruce R. Bradford
183 Newport Drive
Coppell Texas 75019
Office: 972- 361 -2601
e -mail: bruce_r_bradford @hotmail
January 9, 2001
Mr. Jim Witt, City Manager
City of Coppell
255 Parkway Blvd.
Coppell, Texas 75019
Dear Jim:
I write today focused on the pavement condition of Freeport Parkway between Interstate
635 and Bethel Road. Several days ago I spoke to one of your staff members in the
Streets Department and was advised that you have formulated plans for this road, but
that you are pending any action so that your efforts may coincide with the
implementation of either developer- supported reconstruction (to make the "gateway" to
the new Duke Weeks development on Bethel Road more appealing to potential real
estate users) or the eventual reconstruction associated with the bond financing approved
many months ago.
While I certainly applaud and encourage the judicious use of the City's limited resources
(our tax dollars), I cannot in good conscience support the condition of several discrete
sections of Freeport Parkway. While my fellow citizens to the east will soon enough
enjoy daily travel through the beautiful and efficient Sandy Lake Road reconstruction
area, and those to the north the newly rebuilt (though I would argue that it was certainly
in better shape than Freeport Parkway) Coppell Road (from Sandy Lake north to GTE's
office complex), us west - siders (and I know you are amongst us) get to risk damage to
our vehicles on a daily basis as we pass through Coppell's effort to surpass Dallas'
Regal Row as candidate for the worst road in the Metroplex. (I am, of course, being
somewhat facetious, but the road is horrible!) Just getting to Coppell Middle School
West is an adventure — the alternative route would be to enjoy the intensely congested
morning race down Denton Tap and Beltline with all of our friends driving in from
Lewisville and points north.
Even when I go out for a bicycle ride I find that it is better for me to risk an additional five
minutes on heavily - traveled Sandy Lake Road (going westward so that I can then go
south on Royal Lane) than to take the less traveled route down Freeport Parkway, lest I
ruin some rather expensive wheels because the city would rather wait than fix several
fairly concentrated areas of pavement.
Surely some form of acceptable remediation, short of full reconstruction of the whole
road, can be accomplished while waiting for bond or developer's money to become
available for the larger project. I would be grateful for your thoughts.
pectfully yours,
Bruce R. Bradford