The elevated walkway includes a shaded seating wall for pedestrians and students and protects the roots of Texas Wesleyan’s 60-year-old oak trees.

The Texas Public Works Association (TPWA) has selected the East Rosedale Street Improvement Project as its 2016 Transportation Project of the Year ($5 to $25 million).

The project is a key part of the Rosedale Renaissance, a public and private Southeast Fort Worth revitalization initiative, that, in addition to the street improvements, includes Texas Wesleyan’s new clock tower and entryway, the renovation of the Polytechnic Firehouse and the new United Methodist Church Central Texas Conference Service Center that opened last fall.

“East Rosedale has transformed into an attractive and welcoming environment that will turn heads and bring economic development and revitalization to this area,” said Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks.

The $17.5 million East Rosedale Street Improvement project is a collaboration between the City of Fort Worth, Freese and Nichols, Texas Wesleyan University, Southeast Fort Worth, Inc., North Central Texas Council of Governments, the Fort Worth T, Tarrant County, local business leaders and neighborhood associations. 

“The project exemplifies what can happen when community leaders, municipal staff and private entities recognize their mutual interest and unite to improve a neighborhood,” Texas Wesleyan University President Frederick G. Slabach said. “The Rosedale Renaissance revitalizes East Fort Worth and the Polytechnic Heights community, and signifies the transformation of our neighborhood into a thriving economic center.” 

East Rosedale Street connects the Polytechnic Heights neighborhood to downtown Fort Worth from the west and to Arlington from the east and has long served as a “Main Street” for the neighborhood’s diverse population. 

“It has been an honor for Freese and Nichols to serve as a partner in this transformational project,” said Robert F. Pence, P.E., president and CEO of Freese and Nichols. “This street improvement is doing more than enhancing the appearance of the neighborhood. It is strengthening the community by bringing everyone together to build a better future. This is the aspect of the East Rosedale Street Improvement project that made it stand out from all others as worthy of recognition by the TPWA.”

The award will be presented during the TPWA Annual Conference in McAllen, Texas on June 17.

About TPWA

The TPWA Public Works Project of the Year Award was established to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works projects by recognizing the alliance between the managing agencies, consultants, architects, engineers and contractors who, working together, complete public works projects.

TPWA is a chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA), an organization that represents professionals in all aspects of public works and serves as an effective voice of public works throughout North America. With a worldwide membership over 28,500 strong, APWA includes personnel from local, county, state/province, and federal agencies, but also private sector personnel who supply products and services to those professionals.