Improvements are on the way for a heavily traveled stretch of East Lamar Boulevard through a popular portion of Arlington' s entertainment district.

In June, City Council members approved the construction contract for the 1.5-mile section of East Lamar Boulevard that runs between Collins Street and Ballpark Way in front of the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park.

The road will be widened from four to six lanes and completely rebuilt. New sanitary sewer and water lines as well as upgraded median landscaping, streetlights, sidewalks and signals also will be included, and will be built within the design standards of the entertainment district.

Construction is expected to begin in July and be completed in September 2014.

A briefing about the project is scheduled for 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 8, in the City Council Briefing Room on the third floor of City Hall.

City officials say it' s time for the roughly $9-million project, which is funded in large part with voter-approved bond money, to commence.

" Lamar is a gateway to the City, and we look forward to improving its appearance and making a more favorable impression on our visitors," said Keith Melton, Director of Public Works and Transportation.

This section of Lamar Boulevard, one of the City' s major streets constructed more than 30 years ago, has been targeted for improvements for several years. It was listed among the projects in the 2008 bond program, and the City Council approved the work on the roadway' s design in 2009.

Melton said funding is focused on tackling similar major projects as Arlington ages. Much of the construction recently has become repairing and rebuilding existing roadways, he said.

He cited the East Lamar area as one that carries a large volume of vehicles and has suffered through years of shifting soil underneath the pavement. That shifting along with previous patches and repairs has resulted in a buckled and uneven street.

" This road has reached the end of its life," he said.

Melton said that while the long-awaited project will be important to Arlington, it will require the patience of drivers to get it completed.

The high-traffic area will remain open during the construction, but access will be more difficult. Workers are expected to funnel traffic to one lane in each direction and will minimize interruption as much as possible at the busy Collins and Lamar intersection.

" We' ll keep as many lanes open for as long as we can," Melton said.

Drivers often use Lamar Boulevard as an east-west arterial through the City. But Melton encouraged those who don' t live or work in the area to avoid using it as a cut-through during construction and use the Interstate 30 frontage road instead.

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