Kennedale — The city council placed streets, roads and bridges among the highest infrastructure priorities at a strategic planning session and asked staff to focus on a set of major thoroughfare projects, including the Old School Road connection that would open the city’s southern end.

Councilmembers described Old School Road as a transformational project for economic development, noting it would improve access to the southern area and make nearby development more feasible. City staff said the project has previously been scoped and that interlocal agreements and county partnerships are part of the funding strategy; the workshop discussion included a reminder that project costs had escalated during prior planning and that continued collaboration with the county will be necessary.

Participants also reviewed the city’s pavement condition program for neighborhood and arterial streets and asked the city manager to provide a short‑term list of streets to be resurfaced given the FY‑2026 budget. Council asked staff to provide a capital plan that sequences smaller overlay and patching work with larger corridor projects and to identify grant or county partnership opportunities for bridges and major roadway work.

The Old School Road project was discussed as already under negotiation with the county; staff indicated partial funding or agreements are in place for initial segments, but final construction funding and schedule depend on the county and engineering costs. Council directed staff to return with an updated project schedule, cost summary and recommended funding plan for inclusion in upcoming budget deliberations.