The Pella City Council is preparing for a long-awaited road reconstruction project impacting one of the busiest stretches of road in the Tulip City.

A resolution on the agenda of this week’s meeting would be for an amendment to an engineering services agreement with Garden & Associates for the University Street Reconstruction project. The change is to allow for the addition of repaving East 8th Street directly west of Pella High School up to Peace Street.

The estimated $886,500 total project would include realignment, repaving, and reconstruction of underground infrastructure for the stretch of road south of the Caldwell Park tennis courts. The road construction project is made possible now as the Pella School District has assumed ownership of the courts, and as part of a bond issue passed by voters this past November, will build new courts further north on the current property.

Currently, University Street between Farmer and East 8th has been cited by city and school administration over safety concerns, deteriorating pavement, and its unusual winding nature. If approved, the design process will formally begin. The goal is to complete both the University Street/East 8th Street reconstruction and new Caldwell Park tennis courts this summer.

The Pella City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Pella Public Safety Complex and online here. Prior to the meeting, new councilmember Spencer Carlstone will be sworn in with re-elected members Lynn Branderhorst and Mark DeJong.