Construction has begun on Rolfe Christopher Street on the southeast side of the Lamar University campus. The City of Beaumont will upgrade the street to a divided roadway with median, curbs and gutters. The 18-month project’s cost is $5,495,020.
The changes are expected to improve pedestrian safety, improve drainage during periods of heavy rainfall and enhance the appearance of the area, said Brian Sattler, director of public relations at the university. “We encourage drivers to exercise extra caution while work is under way.”
The first section of the street was closed April 21 between the U.S. 69 access road and Florida Avenue as work began on utilities in the vicinity.
Rolfe Christopher will become one-way northbound between Florida Avenue and MLK Parkway beginning around May 5 for approximately six months while work is done on the southbound lane. When the southbound lane is completed, it will be opened to traffic, and the northbound lanes will be closed, making the street one-way south for the next six months.
A cut-through has been added to the median across from Lamar’s Early Childhood Development Center, providing access to the parking lot for the center and for Vincent-Beck Stadium.
The work is being done by Allco, Inc., a diversified construction company based in Beaumont but with offices in Houston and throughout eastern and central Texas. The company’s construction divisions perform services in commercial, utility, highway and heavy construction, exceeding $80 million in sales in 2006.
Allco, Inc. served as the general contractor for the construction of the university’s state-of-the-art Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center.
