Streetscape update
By Loretta Cozart
For a brief period of two days, Mountain Street and Cherokee Street were open for traffic. The 100 block of W. Mountain Street saw traffic moving through and local business owners were excited to see cars flowing by, if only for a brief time.
Beginning on Monday, September 12, the 200 block of W. Mountain Street saw the next phase of Streetscape begin and traffic blocked between S. Piedmont Avenue and Cherokee Street. This phase is slated to completed by October 31.
City officials, including City Manager Marilyn Sellers, Special Events Director Christy Conner, and Economic Development Manager Michael Worley visited the shops communicating their plan and keeping the shopkeepers appraised of the situation. In addition, representatives from Green
Construction communicated with owners how they planned to handle this phase of the project.
The south side of W. Mountain Street will have work done first, as crews check underground utilities and make necessary upgrades. When the south side of the street is completed, crews will work on the north side and repeat the process. Next, sidewalks will be removed, and work will begin to install catch basins and run conduit for the electrical. Once curb and gutter are installed, sidewalks can be poured and the final steps of installing the streetlights, filling the planters with dirt, and adding mulching can be completed. Hopefully by then, the time will be right for fall plantings.
City officials admit that they tackled the worst part of the project in the first phase, knowing that the intersection of Cherokee and Mountain Streets was an unknown as to what they might find below the surface. They are optimistic that the next section will be significantly easier, and they will be finished by the end of October.
For a brief period of two days, Mountain Street and Cherokee Street were open for traffic. The 100 block of W. Mountain Street saw traffic moving through and local business owners were excited to see cars flowing by, if only for a brief time.
Beginning on Monday, September 12, the 200 block of W. Mountain Street saw the next phase of Streetscape begin and traffic blocked between S. Piedmont Avenue and Cherokee Street. This phase is slated to completed by October 31.
City officials, including City Manager Marilyn Sellers, Special Events Director Christy Conner, and Economic Development Manager Michael Worley visited the shops communicating their plan and keeping the shopkeepers appraised of the situation. In addition, representatives from Green
Construction communicated with owners how they planned to handle this phase of the project.
The south side of W. Mountain Street will have work done first, as crews check underground utilities and make necessary upgrades. When the south side of the street is completed, crews will work on the north side and repeat the process. Next, sidewalks will be removed, and work will begin to install catch basins and run conduit for the electrical. Once curb and gutter are installed, sidewalks can be poured and the final steps of installing the streetlights, filling the planters with dirt, and adding mulching can be completed. Hopefully by then, the time will be right for fall plantings.
City officials admit that they tackled the worst part of the project in the first phase, knowing that the intersection of Cherokee and Mountain Streets was an unknown as to what they might find below the surface. They are optimistic that the next section will be significantly easier, and they will be finished by the end of October.
