Pendleton, TX

The Texas Department of Transportation will begin a project, to reconstruct Farm-to-Market road 1237 from State Highway 317 to Interstate 35 between Temple and Troy, in Bell County, on Monday, November 7, 2011.

The project will reconstruct and widen the existing 10’ travel lanes to 11’ and add 2’ to 3’ shoulders the length of the roadway. Temporary lane closures are anticipated during the project.

The 6-mile project is being undertaken by Knife River Construction, at a cost of $2,096,754. It is scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2012, weather permitting.

TxDOT urges the traveling public to be patient, observe posted speed limits and warning signs and watch for construction personnel and equipment in the work zone.

Pendleton Water Supply office is open Monday through Friday, starting the day at 9AM. The secretary closes for lunch at 12noon, and opens again at 1PM, and closes the day at 4PM. They are located in downtown Pendleton, but mailing address is P. O. Box 100 Pendleton, TX 76564. Their office phone is (254)773-5876, but if no answer call (254)770-4640. PWSC does not have a website yet, and to our knowledge does not maintain a customer email list for emergency notifications or contaminations, to notify via email, facebook or other instant alternative notification.

The system was started in the 1960's, and serves about 800+ water members. PWSC does have a payment drop at the front wall of building. PWSC has not started the convenient automatic debiting of monthly water bills as of this time, and does not have an online payment alternative, so plan to get your water bill payments mailed in by due date, or hand deliver them to office, to avoid a late fee.

David Jirasek served on the Board of Directors from 2000 until 2006 as the Board Secretary, making the regular monthly board meeting, and coordinating getting checks cosigned by the President, so the office secretary could pay bills due, in the middle of the month.

If your planning on driving through the abandoned railroad town of Pendleton Texas, there is usually nothing more to watch out for other than normal street hazards or traffic from a shift change, at the end of a long day at work at the machine shop or coop water office; an occasional visitor to the local lounge, or an oncoming tractor with farm equipment. However now you need to watch out for all the extra signs and road markers too.

A couple of months ago, TxDOT brought in to Pendleton, the road grader, water truck, front end loader, and sweeper to widen the FM 1237 Spur roadway from FM 1237 to almost the railroad tracks, at an expense to the taxpayer of a reported $131,639. This breaks down as project engineering of $5,381.38; construction of $105,600; construction engineering of $8,236.80; contingency of $7,687.68; and last indirect fees of $4,733.41.

Data source is http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/apps/rider55/projectdetails.htm?projid=075207012&dist=Waco