ROYAL CITY — The first phase of improvements to Royal City's Apple Avenue is complete, and city officials are working on an application for second-phase funding.  

City officials opened the road Thursday afternoon with a video showing the closure signs being removed. The road was completely rebuilt, with upgraded drainage and stormwater collection system; it was widened with new curbs and gutters and ADA-compliant ramps.  

Royal City Finance Director Janice Flynn said city officials opted to upgrade some utilities to accommodate anticipated future growth. Adding utility upgrades during the construction means the city won't have to tear up sections of the road later, Flynn said. 

"We started at the very south end of the road that is our responsibility," Flynn said, ending at Poplar Street Northeast. Total project cost was $1,006,353, with the city contributing about $53,000.  

Apple Avenue connects Road 12 SW and SR 26. The section from Road 13 Southwest to SR 26 is outside the Royal City city limits. Any work on that section would be the responsibility of Grant County, Flynn said in an earlier interview.  

Most of the cost, about 95%, was paid with financing from the Transportation Improvement Board. Flynn said city officials already have submitted a TIB application for the second phase, which would rebuild the road from Poplar Street to Slate Lane Northeast. The city is requesting about $950,000.  

"We had hoped to do (the project) in two phases," Flynn said. "But we decided to split phase two into two phases," due to state funding reductions. 

If the city receives the funding, the project will be designed in 2027 with construction scheduled in 2028.  

"We should hear this month if we're (awarded) it," Flynn said.  

The road would be rebuilt from the ground up in the second phase, widened with utility improvements added. There's an existing sidewalk through most of the project area, but sidewalk would be added in areas that don't have it.  

The third phase would finish the project between Slate Lane and Road 12 Southwest. Sidewalks would be added on the west side of the street to the last neighborhood, Flynn said.