The reverse curve is seen in August at Grande Boulevard in Tyler.

The Tyler City Council will consider options to improve safety on the Grande Boulevard reverse curve.

The council on Wednesday was presented with results and recommendations from an engineering study on the curve, which has a decade-long history of several fatal and multiple non-fatal crashes.

The study by C.T. Brannon Corp. began in August, said Traffic Engineer Cameron Williams.

“We took a little longer on the study just because we wanted to make sure we took an objective look at things, that we knew what the contributing causes were,” he said.

Between 2011 and 2020, the Grande reverse curve had about 57 crashes, Williams said. An in-depth analysis indicated that a higher proportion of crashes happened while it was raining or under wet pavement conditions, and also at night.

Studies also showed crashes occurred due to distracted driving or drivers not realizing a curve was there, Williams said.

Daily, about 19,000 people drive on Grande, Williams said. While this is “much” lower than the approximately 40,000 daily drivers on Broadway Avenue, it is still considered a high-traffic area. And traffic will only continue to increase along with Tyler’s population, he said.

“We want to improve the safety for our residents of Tyler,” Williams said.

After studying the crash history and possible measures to improve the stretch of road, four options for improvement were studied and presented to the council.

• Option 1: Install new signage and striping, including illuminated chevrons that light up as vehicles enter the curve. Cost: $180,235
• Option 2: Mill out the existing pavement, install a new asphalt surface, install a new high-friction surface treatment, install signage and striping per Option 1. Cost: $639,804
• Option 3 (recommended): Install options 1 and 2, plus relocate the existing Oncor electric tower. Cost: $1.19 million
• Option 4: Reconstruct roadway, relocate Oncor electric towner, and install signage and striping per Option 1. Cost: $2.18 million

Williams said Option 3 is the one recommended, which includes all the new signage, striping, illuminated chevrons, milled out pavement, new asphalt surface and high-friction surface treatment along with relocating the existing Oncor tower.

“The Engineering Department recommends Option 3 to be considered for implementation,” said Williams. “After implementation, we will evaluate the area in five years to review the success of the improvements and consider other alternatives, including Option 4, if crashes continue.”

These changes would be paid for through the city’s Half Cent Sales Tax fund for capital improvements.

The addition of LED signage would make the curb more visible during the day and night, Williams said. The surface treatment for additional friction would help keep the road safe during wet conditions, which is when a lot of wrecks have occurred.

Right now, the electricity tower makes the road seem like it continues going straight rather than curving when traveling from the west, Williams said. This is due to its large size causing a “visual continuity” and partially blocking the view of the curve.

After presenting these options, the next step is to get council approval at a later date. All of the contracts will then be put together and brought back before the council.

Williams said his hope is to see approval of the LED signs by early spring and have those installed. Pavement improvements would be approved later and hopefully be added to the annual asphalt enhancement projects for next year and be completed by late spring or early summer.

Relocation of the electricity tower would take longer because more discussions will have to be had with Oncor to begin the process.

“I think the community is ready to get some improvements done,” Williams said. “(Grande has) been a safety concern for a while, they want to see some improvements.”