Highland Park's Town Council approved a $22,205,303 construction contract for the Wycliffe Avenue Reconstruction Project at its September 15 meeting. Rebcon was the low bidder. People Newspapers reported on September 21 that work was set to begin in October and finish by June 2028, weather permitting. Wycliffe Avenue between Abbott Avenue and Oak Lawn Avenue will be closed for the duration.
That's about twenty months without one of the main connections between Turtle Creek and Oak Lawn. Most of that time goes into a job that is hard to see from the street. Crews have to take out the dam under Wycliffe without lowering Connor Lake by even a foot. Then they have to hand the corridor back looking much as it does now, minus the hazard.
The Water Level Is Written Into the Bid Documents
Most people think of Wycliffe as a road. The Town describes it as a dam that also happens to be a road. Its FAQ says the existing roadway in the work zone is the dam, and that it "will be removed and reconstructed as a bridge."
The one condition the design keeps returning to is Connor Lake. In August, during bidding, Rebcon and the other bidders were told that the existing water level of 463.4 feet, "which is currently controlled by the top of the standpipe, must be maintained during construction." The cofferdam has to handle average daily flow and seasonal changes in flow while that elevation holds. The finished project keeps the same promise. The Town lists "preservation of the existing water level in Connor Lake" among its permanent benefits.
So the lake stays put while the structure holding it back is replaced. The sequencing has to work around the water, and that helps explain why a corridor this short needs most of two years.
What Comes Out and What Goes In
Engineers from Kimley-Horn described the changes to the Town Council in December 2023. TCEQ later found the hydraulic and breach analyses compliant.
| Today | After the project |
|---|---|
| Service spillway with a 40-foot "morning glory" | 120-foot-wide sharp-crested weir in the same position |
| Earthen dam carrying the roadway | Dam removed to natural ground |
| Standpipe setting the lake level | Standpipe removed |
| Road on top of the dam | Bridge in line with Wycliffe, spanning a 100-foot-wide reinforced concrete discharge channel |
| Registered with TCEQ as a high-hazard dam | Low-hazard structure, removed from TCEQ jurisdiction |
At a December 2024 Town Hall, the project team said the road would be raised about 2.5 feet and the downstream channel flow lines widened and maintained. The Town says the new design is built to pass a 100-year storm without water topping Wycliffe Avenue.
Why a Dam Ended Up in Court
TCEQ classifies dams as low, significant, or high hazard. The Wycliffe dam is in the top category. People Newspapers described that rating as indicating "a credible risk to human life in the event of failure."
Recent history supports the rating. Engineers at the December 17, 2024 special meeting cited six times water overtopped Wycliffe Avenue since 2022, along with 34 events that triggered the barricade system. Mayor Will C. Beecherl opened that meeting with a May 18, 2019 video of Highland Park police responding as floodwaters swept a vehicle away.
The legal history is less widely known. A suit styled USAI, LP v. Town of Highland Park and City of Dallas, Cause No. DC-20-08213, sought injunctive relief and compensation over flooding the plaintiff attributed to structures owned and run by the two municipalities. On August 23, 2023, the Dallas City Council authorized a proposed settlement. Under it, Highland Park would reconstruct the Wycliffe dam and install a box culvert at Fitzhugh Avenue and Turtle Creek Tributary 1. Dallas would contribute up to $400,000. At the December 2024 Town Hall, the mayor still described the project as tied to stipulations in a pending settlement. The Town's FAQ says the lawsuit is also why the design was kept private at first. Because it was part of "active multijurisdictional legal discussions," the Town was barred from sharing details.
A Project That Grew at Every Step
Read in order, the public record shows the scope, cost, and schedule changing at each step.
- August 2023. The Dallas settlement resolution puts the estimated cost at $13.2 million. That figure covered both the dam reconstruction and the Fitzhugh box culvert.
- December 2023. Town Council minutes expect construction to begin in early 2025 and take about 18 months.
- December 2024. The Town Hall presentation projects a total of $21,830,000, with $6,132,000 coming from the Town.
- August 2025. People Newspapers reports an expected January 2026 start.
- June 2026. Dallas authorizes up to $3,875,000 for its own water and wastewater mains, built under Highland Park's contract and inspected by Dallas. The resolution describes the work as a full rebuild of Wycliffe from Oak Lawn Avenue to the town limits just west of Glenwood Avenue, plus a new bridge over Turtle Creek.
- September 2026. The contract is awarded at $22,205,303, with an October start and June 2028 finish.
The Town's local share has hardly changed through all of this. It has stayed around $6.2 million, while roughly 72% of the cost comes from outside sources. Those sources are TxDOT through an 80/20 federal match, Dallas County through a 50/50 cost share, a TCEQ grant for design, and the cities of Dallas and University Park. Projects funded this way move only when every partner is ready, and the timeline above shows it.
The Next Twenty Months, Street by Street
The Town has not posted turn-by-turn detours, and as of October 4 there was no public notice that main construction had begun. Here is what the Town has committed to so far.
- Where the work is. The Town's FAQ centers the work on Wycliffe between St. Johns Drive and Lakeside Drive. People Newspapers' September report gives wider closure limits, Abbott Avenue to Oak Lawn Avenue.
- Nearby streets. Parts of Wycliffe Avenue, Fitzhugh Avenue, St. Johns Drive, Lakeside Drive, and Turtle Creek Boulevard will see closures or restricted access in phases, not all at once, with detours and signs.
- Parking. Parking near the site will be residents-only, and the Town says it will look for crew parking that keeps impact on nearby blocks low.
- Access to homes. The Town has committed to uninterrupted access for mail and package delivery, utilities, and visitors, immediate access for fire, police, and EMS, and advance notice of any changes to access.
- Utilities below the road. The Town's 30-inch Turtle Creek interceptor will be relocated and replaced, along with 8-inch water lines and 8-inch and 18-inch wastewater collectors. Dallas will upsize a 10-inch wastewater line to 18 inches and replace a 16-inch water line. Oncor, Atmos, AT&T, and Spectrum will move their own equipment, and the Town expects brief service interruptions that will be announced ahead of time.
Fitzhugh drivers have already had a preview. People Newspapers reported on June 30 that preparatory utility work had narrowed Fitzhugh, from just west of the Katy Trail to Oak Lawn Avenue, to one lane during work hours.
Wycliffe isn't the only active project. At the same September 15 meeting, the council authorized contracts for the Eastern Avenue and Douglas Avenue reconstructions and the 2026 Drainage Easement Improvements Project. Council Member Margaret Keliher voted against that night's fee schedule update, citing extended construction timelines and the disruption they bring to residents.
For walks, Lakeside Park stays a reference point along Turtle Creek. The Town describes its walking paths, the bridge atop Turtle Creek Dam, and the Teddy Bear statues. The Town has not published a path-by-path closure map for the Wycliffe work. The Construction Updates page on hptx.org and HP Alerts are the places to check before heading out.
What the Street Looks Like Afterward
The finished Wycliffe will narrow from three lanes to two, with a dedicated left-turn lane across the bridge, as there is today. The Town says its traffic modeling showed no significant change in traffic flow, and it has posted side-by-side videos of the current and proposed configurations. The FAQ also promises upgraded pedestrian paths and landscaping.
The design had a contentious public debut. At the December 2024 Town Hall, the concrete drew criticism for its appearance and the possibility of graffiti. Afterward, the Town formed a working group of Highland Park and Dallas residents that spent six months with engineers and staff reviewing the concept and looking at improvements. The current plan came out of that process.
The water-level requirement preserves one important part of the existing setting. In the bid documents, the lake's surface is held at 463.4 feet before construction, during it, and after.
If your home sits along the Wycliffe, Fitzhugh, or St. Johns corridor and you plan to sell or buy before mid-2028, the phased closures will affect showings, inspections, and closing logistics. Richard Noon's office follows the Town's construction notices and can help you set a timeline around them. Richard Noon is available when you want to plan. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
