‘Big Dig’ project to start Monday, lane restrictions looming

The City addressed the potential impacts to residents in a late morning media conference on Friday.

The emergency services in the City have all be notified about the traffic restrictions, the City’s acting public works director Wes Hicks said.

“Obviously there’s going to be a slight delay, they’ll be using their lights and sirens,” he said, adding that people will have to move out of the way as quickly as possible.

“But with only one bridge, there’s no options.”

Residents living in the nearby seniors’ complex will also be affected; Hicks said they will have to walk an additional block to cross the street to go to the mall.

“There’s no other way we can accommodate them. We can’t have pedestrians going through a construction zone.”

But it will be the disruptions to the businesses that front onto Second Avenue West that the City will be working to mitigate. It will be supplying the businesses with water because the utility will be shut off at their businesses while the pipes are replaced.

Patrons’ vehicles won’t be able to enter the businesses from Second Avenue West, as the southbound lanes will be closed.

“We’ve met with all of those businesses yesterday (Thursday), they also got to meet with the contractor. They’ll be accommodated with temporary water. They should never be out of water. We’ve done what we can to accommodate those businesses.”

The months-long road construction project will see a host of upgrades come to Second Avenue West. Most significantly, the City will replace water, sewer and storm mains that are more than a century old. The project is also an opportunity to resurface the road, replace curbs, gutters and sidewalks and replace the Second Avenue West and 15th Street west asphalt intersection with concrete.

Laying down concrete at the intersection is expected to increase the durability of the road surface, according to Hicks.

The construction work will take place in phases, beginning with work in the southbound lanes, where the mains are located. Hicks said the first phase will last eight weeks.

During the second phase, crews will be working in the northbound lanes, with two-way traffic flowing through the re-opened southbound lanes. At that time, the City will hold another media conference to provide more information about detours.

The project has a targeted completion date of Sept. 8.

Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., from Monday to Saturday. No work will take place on Sundays or on long weekends.

The City has placed signs warning drivers about the road work and detours in advance of the construction zone. More signs will be posted in the area on Sunday.

Hicks offered drivers advice for preparing for the traffic disruptions that come with the ‘Big Dig.’

“It may be practical for them to consider alternate routes to avoid Second Avenue and 15th Street.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

by Thia James

‘Big Dig’ project to start Monday, lane restrictions looming

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