Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 31, 1995 TAG: 9510310107
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A bridge-building project to replace the at-grade railroad crossing at Second Street is forcing the closure of two significant downtown arteries, requiring detours on other downtown streets.
Come Monday, construction crews will block off Second Street north of Campbell Avenue, and Salem Avenue east of Second Street.
The roadblocks will push more traffic onto Shenandoah and Church avenues and First, Third and Fifth streets downtown, city officials said. The crossing over Norfolk Southern Corp. tracks on Second Street, used by about 5,000 cars and trucks daily, also will be closed. So will Norfolk Avenue near Second Street.
"I'm not saying there won't be added delays; there will be," said Bob Bengtson, city traffic engineer. "But I don't think it will create any substantial tie-ups. It's something we're going to have to monitor in the early stages to see how motorists react."
The bridge project is the first phase of the Second Street/Gainsboro Road construction project, which city officials have been planning for five years.
The new road alignment is designed to bring traffic off Orange Avenue, through Gainsboro, and downtown.
When it's finished early in 1997, the $16 million project will complete the fourth and final leg of a four-lane downtown traffic "inner loop," moving traffic in two directions. The other legs are Franklin Road, Williamson Road and Wells Avenue.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board last week approved an $8.4 million contract with Branch Highways Inc. for building the bridge and realigning and widening Gainsboro Road north of the tracks.
The remaining costs cover utility relocation, land acquisition and design and engineering of the project. The majority of the overall cost will be paid for by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The project is likely to have major impacts on three downtown businesses: Crystal Tower Beauty Barber, on Second Street; and Reprographics and J.P. Tailoring, both on Salem Avenue. Street barricades will cut off the flow of traffic in front of all three businesses.
"Any time you stop total flow, whether it's sidewalks, streets or whatever, you wonder whether customers will go elsewhere," said Roy Prusak, manager of the tailor shop. While they're under construction, I feel it's going to hurt. We'll just have to wait and see."
Ester Broyles, who's cut hair in the Crystal Tower for 13 years, said the work may make it difficult for his many elderly clients to get to his shop. While they can enter through the old hotel's lobby, they'll have to negotiate a small flight of stairs, something seniors may find tricky.
"It's going to hurt me. I probably won't live to see this done," said Broyles, 75. A construction sign on Second Street that Broyles noticed Monday was the first notice he's had of the project, he said.
Here's how the city hopes the detours will work:
Traffic coming off Williamson Road that uses Salem Avenue to pass through downtown will be rererouted onto Shenandoah Avenue, then across the Fifth Street bridge.
Cars driving to the Virginia Museum of Transportation on Norfolk Avenue will have to take First Street south to Church Avenue, Church over to northbound Third Street, and Third Street to Norfolk and the museum.
Motorists who normally cross the tracks at Second Street will have to cross on the First or Fifth Street bridges instead.
A half-block of Salem Avenue between First and Second streets will remain open. However, the portion of the street will carry traffic two ways, instead of one way. The city is installing an additional traffic light on Salem at First Street to handle the two-way traffic.
"I think it's fair to say we think it's going to cause mostly a concern for people who work in that immediate area," said Michelle Bono, city spokeswoman. "The important thing to know is if you're trying to get to the other side of the tracks, First Street and Fifth Street are going to be there. The best thing to do is avoid Salem Avenue and Second Street entirely."
by CNB