Highway 26 face-lift includes beautification that will give Colleyville ‘amazing’ look

With one of the largest road projects in the history of the city substantially complete, the city of Colleyville is starting to focus on the beautification of Texas 26.

The Texas Department of Transportation transformed the highway into a six-lane roadway with raised curbed medians. The project features approximately 23 lane miles of new roadway, drainage system improvements, approximately 4.8 miles of 8-foot-wide sidewalks, eight signalized intersections, and a bridge over Little Bear Creek.

Now comes the beautification part, which covers the span of the project and will completed in three phases.

“The SH26 beautification project is going to transform the boulevard in terms of beauty. The entire three-mile stretch through Colleyville will look amazing,” assistant City Manager Mark Wood said.

“You can already see glimpses of that on the north end of the project at SH26 and John McCain. The city is investing in the beautification of our major commercial corridor, and it is something that will be enjoyed for generations.”

The three phases of beautification include:

▪ Phase 1: Decorative light poles (completed December 2020).

▪ Phase 2: Median and right-of-way beautification (completion summer 2021).

▪ Phase 3: Gateway features (construction begins summer 2021).

“The light poles are semi-custom and provide a great feature as you drive through the corridor,” Wood said. “They provide a great balance of lighting the corridor while also being soft enough so that they aren’t intrusive. A lot of time and energy went into picking just the right ones.”

The gateway features will include:

▪ Pastoral Gateway, SH26 and John McCain Road: Colleyville identity sign, tower element, stone walls, flagstone, native meadow.

▪ Main Street Gateway, SH26 and Main Street: Tower elements, lanterns, seasonal color, canopy trees, improvements at intersection corners.

▪ Creekside Gateway, SH26 at Little Bear Creek: Colleyville identity sign, tower element, stone steps, ornamental trees, future trailhead.

The roadway improvements were completed in 2020, creating a smoother traveling experience, Wood said.

“The reconstruction of SH26 has provided much-needed improvements to the traveling public both in terms of convenience and safety,” he said.

And while there will be some traffic diverting during the beautification project, Wood said there only be minor delays.

“The contractor will close the lane nearest to where they are working, but unlike the roadway project, there will not be lanes closed for the entire stretch. Closures will be localized,” he said.

“We have heard from several residents of how much they like the beautification. We have already received compliments on the large trees in the medians and the stonework taking place,” Wood continued. “This project is so unique to Colleyville.

“Painstaking detail was undertaken to ensure the work fit within the community character and that it provides a lasting benefit to our community. We want residents to be proud when they drive through the city.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 6:00 AM.