By late autumn, Dallas officials hope to be able to take a deep breath and feel good for the construction season.

The big projects of the summer replacement of the Levens Street Bridge and improvements on Fir Villa Road should be done before frequent inclement weather descends.

Demolition of the circa-1920s Levens Street Bridge will begin within the next two weeks after utility relocation is complete. The project's completion is slated for mid-October. Among other enhancements, the new bridge will clear the 100-year floodplain.

The Fir Villa Road project, which will bring curbs, sidewalks and parking improvements to the road, will begin in August with a project timeline stretching to November.

"We purposely didn't want to take on any of these improvements until we completed the north (Ellendale) intersection work," City Manager Roger Jordan said, noting that construction plans were timed to limit traffic inconveniences.

Jordan also noted that environmental restrictions and wetland issues dealing with Rickreall Creek influenced the bridge plans, necessitating certain work be handled between July 1 and Sept. 15.

Levens Street is the final bridge in a series of countywide bridge improvements made in recent years.