Downtown Street Projects - Weekly Updates from Chuck Stearns:  May 17, 2012

2^ND Street Reconstruction – TIGER Grant  -GETTING CLOSE !

The downtown TIGER project for the reconstruction of 2^nd Street from Spokane Avenue to Baker Avenue is getting close to being finished.    The contractor hopes to open the intersections and road next Thursday or Friday prior to Memorial Day.    They had to re-pour part of the concrete crosswalks at the Spokane Avenue intersection because the concrete did not meet specifications (see picture below).    Once they re-pour that concrete, it has to cure for a number of days before we can put heavy truck traffic on it.   

All of the landscaping is in place and they just have to do a final test and acceptance of the irrigation systems for the landscaping. 

The concrete sub-contractor is also replacing some sidewalk sections of concrete that were not accepted because of cracking.   

PLEASE NOTE:  Even when the road and intersections open, the new programming for the traffic signals cannot be activated until June 12 when the signals contractor,  Montana Department of Transportation officials, and others can come to town for the final programming and acceptance.   So the new signals will still operate under the old programming regime (e.g. no dedicated left turn signals yet) until June 12^th.  

Let’s hope for good weather and good progress so they can open the road up next week. 

Downtown Street Projects - Weekly Updates from Chuck Stearns: April 17, 2012

2^ND Street Reconstruction – TIGER Grant

Work continues on the intersection of 2^nd and Spokane. Good news was that the road base material below the intersection was good material, so they did not have to export bad material and import new structural fill material. This circumstance saved about a week of time for hauling material in and out and compacting the new material.

Compaction is mostly complete and the SW corner of 2^nd and Spokane has a new, wider turning radius.

Given that this phase of the project has a lot more concrete than other phases, the rainy weather is starting to hamper concrete pours. Right now they are still holding to a project completion in late May.

Pouring concrete sidewalk on 2^nd Street on 4-17

THIS WEEK’S WORK

Pouring of sidewalks on 2^nd Street and in front of the Downtowner Inn on Spokane will continue. Finishing the pouring of concrete curbs and gutters will also continue. The placement of traffic signal poles and street lights as shown below will also continue.

NEXT WEEK (APRIL 23-27)

The pouring of concrete will continue as will the placing of the traffic signal poles and street lights. The landscaping sub-contractor is scheduled to arrive on April 23^rd to start planting street trees and landscaping.

April, 2012 - Construction at 2nd and Spokane to resume

Spokane Avenue Intersection Reconstruction

Major work on the Highway 93/2nd Street project that was begun last fall will start up again this Monday, April 2nd (weather permitting). Starting Monday morning the Spokane and 2nd Street intersection will be closed to traffic. During this work Highway 93 traffic will be detoured away from the Spokane intersection onto Baker Avenue. I have attached a detour map. We will be delivering copies of this map to nearby businesses and the middle school today and tomorrow. The Spokane intersection work includes replacement of the storm drain system and the existing concrete pavement. We are expecting the work to extend into early June.

The entire reconstruction project extends from Spokane to Baker Avenue on 2nd Street. While the Spokane intersection is being rebuilt there will be a variety of finish work occuring on the rest of the project. This work on 2nd Street will include installation of landscaping, decorative street lights and the irrigation system. This week the new traffic signals are being installed at the Baker and Central intersections. The signals will continue to operate like the old signals until the project is complete in June. Please give a call if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Karin

For further information please contact:

Karin Hilding, Senior Project Engineer

City of Whitefish khilding@cityofwhitefish.org phone: 863-2450

Downtown Street Projects - Weekly Updates from Chuck Stearns: October 24, 2011

OPEN !

CENTRAL AVENUE PROJECT

As the picture below shows, the Central Avenue project between 1^st Street and Railway opened up on Saturday, October 22^nd. While there are still some clean-up and probably some punch list items, this project completes the three year Downtown Street Improvements projects – this project was the sixth and last phase. Thanks to all citizens and affected businesses for their patience and support.

2^ND Street Reconstruction – TIGER Grant

The Hwy93 – 2^nd Street project also began paving on Monday, October 24^th as the pictures below show. In addition to paving this week, the concrete work will continue with the installation of concrete crosswalks in the Central Avenue intersection followed by alley aprons and then sidewalks next to all of the buildings.

The contractor LHC will not likely open up 2^nd Street until all or most of the concrete work is done as it is safest and most efficient for them to have the entire working area. Central Avenue through 2^nd Street may re-open later this week however.

The entire project for this fall phase will likely shut down and 2^nd Street will re-open sometime in early to mid-November.

Downtown Street Projects - Weekly Updates

from Chuck Stearns: October 14, 2011

WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN’ GOIN’ ON – HOME STRETCH

2^ND Street Reconstruction – TIGER Grant

The good news is that digging, muddin’ around in the muck, and the water and storm drain pipe work is rapidly coming to an end. The recent rains had a great impact while the clay sub-surface was exposed. Most of the clay muck is on the way out and the new structural fill is being put in and compacted. That compaction means that there are a lot of vibrations going on in this project and in the Central Avenue project. However compaction gets followed by installation of concrete and installation of concrete gets followed by asphalt pavement, so we are in the home stretch of the fall projects.

The pictures below show 2^nd Street in front of City Hall getting rolled and tested for compaction. The contractor still hopes to pave during the week of October 24^th.

Central Avenue Project

Central Avenue continues with the pouring of concrete and finish grading of the road. The contractor hopes to pave on Thursday, October 20^th and open the road on or before October 22^nd.

Downtown Street Projects - Weekly Updates from Chuck Stearns: October 6, 2011

Traffic signals and lanes

Many people may wonder why the turn lanes on Baker Avenue at the 2^nd Street intersection are blocked. It is because the large semi-trucks which are turning at that intersection need a wide path in order to make the 90° turn. Therefore it is safest during the month of October to leave those lanes closed. Also, the traffic signal controller device is still the old controller and the new controller will not arrive until next spring. However, all lanes should be open when the entire project is opened for the winter in November.

2^ND Street Reconstruction – TIGER Grant

The Baker Avenue and 2^nd Street intersection was opened on Monday, October 3^rd and the detour route was modified so that all detours are on Baker Avenue. Baker Avenue experienced some congestion this week, especially for northbound vehicles turning left onto 2^nd Street – Hwy 93. Even though the traffic signal controller is the former controller because the new controller will not arrive until next spring, we were able to lengthen the green light signal for north and south on Baker Avenue, so that should help alleviate congestion during October. The entire project will re-open for the winter months in November, 2011 through March, 2012 and then construction will resume next April – June.

As the picture below shows, the “big dig” arrived at the Central Avenue intersection this week as the water main and storm drain installation continued to move eastward. The alley between Spokane and Central Avenue should re-open today, but it will have sporadic closures next week.

Central Avenue Project

The pouring of concrete for street light stands and curbs and gutters began this week. The pouring of sidewalks will likely occur early next week. The contractor may try to pave the road on October 17-19. The contractor is still ahead of schedule and should finish before October 22^nd.