Work continues Thursday, September 10, 2020, on the Courthouse Square Connections Project in downtown Texarkana. Photo by Kelsi Brinkmeyer / Texarkana Gazette.TEXARKANA — Improvements around the downtown federal courthouse and post office will include ground-up street reconstruction and reduce traffic to one lane on the Texas side of the building.
Demolition and replacement of existing road pavement is the first step in the Courthouse Square Connections Project, an overhaul of the iconic downtown building's grounds and surrounding infrastructure, said Dusty Henslee, Texarkana, Texas, public works director.
"Our plan is to first construct all the new pavement and utilities so we can get the street reopened as soon as possible then work on the park area," he said Thursday.
Crews will remove the existing asphalt, the original brick street beneath it and the concrete road bed. Then they will install a new base and asphalt while reusing some of the bricks for a portion of the street on the south, or front-side of the courthouse.
On the southbound, Texas side, of North State Line Avenue, the right, outside, lane north of the building will become a right turn only lane and the left, inside, lane will continue around the building's west side.
Other improvements will include new ground lighting fixtures, water line replacement and installation of a sprinkler system, and new sidewalks, crosswalks and ramps expected to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. There will also be a new tourist information kiosk, public art, expanded green space and an area for food truck vendors.
Work on the project began in late August and is expected to be completed by March 2021.
The Texas side will pick up most of the cost, more than $742,000, through capital improvement bonds, and the Arkansas side is contributing more than $215,000 as in-kind labor. The Arkansas-side Advertising and Promotion Commission and a National Endowment for the Arts grant also contributed funds.
Project partners include the Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce, the Texarkana Arts and Historic District and the Wilbur Smith Rotary Club. A team of local residents has been involved with the project's planning as part of activity with the civic group Leadership Texarkana.
Built in 1931 centered on North State Line Avenue, the courthouse is the only U.S. federal building that stands in more than one state. It is said to be the second-most photographed courthouse in the nation, after the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.
Tourists often visit a spot in front of the courthouse featuring an iconic red, white and blue sign marking the Arkansas-Texas state line, many posing for photos with one foot in either state.
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Street aesthetics key part of Courthouse Square project | Original bricks under existing asphalt to be salvaged - Texarkana Gazette
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