Mayor Jim Parsons says the plan is to have traffic flow on West Street back to normal by the time a major detour is established to accommodate the Main Street bridge replacement project.
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Half of West Street has been handling two-way traffic all summer long in order for the city to complete the combined sewer separation project that required digging up the intersection of Park Street, Central Street and West Valley Road.
As of Sept. 4, another major detour will be needed downtown when the section of Main Street leading to the bridge over the Corner Brook Stream has to close so the old bridge can be removed and the new bridge being constructed alongside it can be moved into place.
“It’s all running really tight and timelines are overlapping, but the plan is to get this (intersection) reinstated so you could at least get (normal) traffic around West Street before the bridge closes,” the mayor said Thursday. “There’s only a week left, but that is still the plan.”
Work on the underground infrastructure is nearing completion, but was still ongoing Thursday.
The finished work will involve a slightly new design for the traffic island located in the intersection. The island will likely extend slightly further up into West Valley Road and will include a new turning lane for traffic headed from the direction of Park Street and into the West Valley Gardens apartment complex.
The island, which will be beautified with a coloured cement pathway, planters and decorative lighting, will also feature extended gore lines — triangular sections of painted asphalt tapered to help direct traffic flow.
It is hoped that the combination of the extended gore lines and the turning lane on West Valley Road will help reduce the number of drivers unfamiliar with this area who inadvertently turn onto one-way Park Street in the wrong direction.
Parsons said the plan is to start the curb work on the reconstructed intersection Monday and to have it completed by Labour Day.
“There are a lot of projects going on all at once in this area,” said Parsons. “It’s going to be a bit of a wait and see for that Tuesday after Labour Day.”
No matter when it gets finished, noted the mayor, one of the key aspects of the new island at the intersection will be new signage welcoming people, particularly visitors, to the downtown area.
