TYLER, Texas — Cambridge Road in Tyler has become a popular cut through for drivers to avoid traffic on South Broadway Avenue. Over the last few years though, Lisa Crossman, a Tyler city engineer, said the city has been working on a plan to improve safety in the area.
"Right now, it's a fairly narrow two-lane road with no curb and gutter, no sidewalks, no underground drainage system," Crossman explained.
Construction for Cambridge Road is scheduled to begin on January 19 and be completed by May 2022. The project will span from Broadway Ave. to Jeff Davis Drive and includes adding a designated center turn lane.
"So it will be three lanes instead of two, added curb and gutter, sidewalks, storm drain inlets, and an underground piping system," she said.
The city is paying for the construction with the Half-Cent Sales Tax fund.
The project has been broken up into different phases starting with a creek crossing along the roadway.
"Before the road takes the hard 90-degree turn, there's a creek crossing there, and we're going to be shutting the road down on either side of that creek crossing, to be installing some new box culvert under the roadway."
To increase safety during construction, a four-way stop sign was installed at the intersection with Jeff Davis Drive. The stop signs will remain there after the project is complete.
Eventually, stop signs will also go up at the 90-degree turn on Cambridge Drive to allow homeowners in the area easier access to their driveways or streets.
The city will also be adding a dedicated bicycle lane from Cumberland Road to Grande Boulevard along Townhouse, East Heritage, Baylor, Karen, Barbee, and Sutherland Drives.
To learn more about the Cambridge Road Improvements Project, click here.