The El Campo City Council gave the green light for a major sidewalk project along North Wharton Street—teaming with the state in a unanimous vote last week. The $5.2 million upgrade, fully grant-funded at no cost to local taxpayers, will add sidewalks, lighting, and crosswalks to improve safety near Friendship Park. Construction will tie into the nearly finished East Jackson walkway, and state crews plan to bid the project in March 2027, alongside a full rebuild that will widen North Wharton into a smoother three-lane street.