If you’ve been on Washington Avenue lately, you know it’s quite a mess. But the $3.5 million project hit a major milestone Tuesday when the first of its new curbs were placed along the northbound portion of the roadway.
Many engineers have told me of the importance of the placing of the curbs. It signifies a road project’s transition from below ground work to surface construction. And, in this particular project, the curb placement gives us the first look at a sized-down roadway — and how much wider the sidewalks will be.
The project is adding those wider sidewalks, bike lanes and street lights to both sides of the road, between the Manette Bridge and Fifth Street. The roadway will be permanently dropped from two lanes to one in each direction.
Contractor RV Associates has already added new water, sewer and stormwater pipes underneath the road. Other utilities have also been placed underground, including burying the power lines between Fifth and Sixth streets.
Now, they’ll finish up the northbound street, pouring new concrete sidewalks and laying asphalt. There’s a good chance that work will be completed next week.
Following that, work will transition to the southbound side, or “upper” lanes. The project is slated for completion in October.
Sure hope nobody hits a gas line around that worker and his cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
What I don’t understand is why they’re making the roads one lane in each direction on such heavily traveled roads. I believe the city engineers are smoking something. Warren Avenue going north from Burwell is a nightmare! Washington will be just as bad.