In January 2018, city staff presented to the Allen City Council a concept to implement an interchange that could accommodate growth and development along the frontage road of US75, better than the all-way stop condition that exists today.  With support of a roundabout concept, staff has been working on it ever since.  As a result, the project has been published in the 5-year Capital Improvement Program since 2018.  While implementing an innovative and practical solution to enhance traffic flow for the near- and long-term at the Allen Drive/US75 Interchange, there is added potential with this project for aesthetic enhancement to the US75 corridor and entryway to the downtown area. 

Over the years, the project concept has undergone review and scrutiny by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) at various levels, starting with traffic control legitimacy and culminating to this day with awarding the project for construction.  Funding requests have been made to both Collin County (Discretionary Bond Proceeds Call for Projects in October 2019) and NCTCOG (call for projects in January 2021).  In both cases, the project was not selected, given the project does not have regional significance in the view of TxDOT or NCTCOG.  Because of the size and traffic volume of Allen Drive, the impact does not rise to the level of priority for either agency.  Furthermore, in the recent past, frontage road improvement costs have been borne by the community, while TxDOT continues to turn their attention and invest in the highway main lanes; so this result was not surprising.  Consequently, this current phase of the project is 100% locally funded (City of Allen).  However, there is state (TxDOT) funds awarded to the City of Allen for future phased enhancement of the interchange. 

It has been a strategic initiative to provide a gateway, monument, or other aesthetic improvement to the US75 corridor that announces and establishes the community identity for the City of Allen. Consequently, over $500,000 in Governor's Community Achievement Award (GCAA) funds (from two separate awards) has been set-aside for a future phase to enhance the interchange with a decorative pedestrian fence railing on the existing overpass and future enhanced landscaping and irrigation around the perimeter of the roundabouts.

In summary, this proposed contract will reconstruct the interchange to eliminate the all-way stop condition and create roundabouts with circular islands and decorative sidewalks.  A future project (Phase 2) will be presented to the City Council (in 2023) to install a decorative fence onto the overpass that spans the highway and will be funded by the State GCAA grant.  Phase 3, bid toward the end of Phase 2 or contemporaneously, will include all irrigation and landscape surrounding the new interchange.  Additional future community identity and/or public artwork for the roundabout islands is not a part of this project scope, but has been discussed among the Public Art Committee for future funding consideration.

On July 22, 2021, three (3) bids were received and are below:

Bid 2021-12-34

The total budget and proposed funding sources are as follows, below.

ST1903 - The Allen Drive Gateway Project Award Itemization

ST1903 - The Allen Drive Gateway Project Funding Source

*$310,000 reallocated from unprogrammed capital funds for streets projects (ST9999).

The Project is published in the current Capital Improvement Program on Page PW-07 where this award amount exceeds the published allocation for construction.  Through the use of project savings within the CIP and unallocated funds for street projects, funding for this proposed award and expense is made possible.  

Staff recommends that Council award bid and authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with The Fain Group, Inc., for The Allen Drive Gateway Project in the Amount of $4,040,000. 

I make a motion to authorize the City Manager to award bid and execute a Contract with The Fain Group, Inc., for The Allen Drive Gateway Project in the Amount of $ 4,040,000.