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NEWS
4th avenue work almost finished
Crews were not working on 4th Avenue in front of the Keith-Albee Performing Center as of noon Friday, June 5, 2009, but it was open to traffic.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON — After eight months of construction that forced sidewalk and road closings, 4th Avenue business owners between 8th and 10th streets say they are ready for a return to normalcy.
The initial phase of the Old Main Corridor neared completion in downtown Huntington on Friday as workers striped the roadway, put trash containers back in their places and packed up their tools and leftover materials.
All that’s left now is a few finishing touches, which will include the pouring of decorative concrete and 50 glass medallions provided by Blenko Glass that will be imbedded into the sidewalk and emit a bluish light.
Business owners say they hope they will see long-term benefits from the project, which aims to provide a better link between Marshall University and the downtown on 4th Avenue through enhanced landscaping and lighting, bicycle lanes and public art. But the short-term headaches haven’t been pleasant.
“I’m not upset because I know this project has run into several weather delays,” said Bill Moore, who works at George H. Wright’s at the corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street. “I’m more frustrated than anything. I just want them to finish it and get 4th Avenue open.”
The first phase of the project, which will eventually stretch from Hal Greer Boulevard to 6th Street, began in early October and was supposed to be completed in late February. But several weeks of snow and ice in January followed by buckets of rain this spring caused delays.
Weather wasn’t the only thing pushing the project back. Hager Construction, the contractor, found a large cavity under 4th Avenue in front of the Old Village Roaster. And underground rooms that extended out from buildings forced Hager to redesign some of the sidewalks, said Charles Holley, director of development and planning for the city.
The last week has given Holley a few headaches as well. The two-block stretch was paved Monday and Tuesday, just in time for Tuesday night’s debut of “Celebrate Huntington,” a new summer concert series on 4th Avenue.
Vendors sold unopened bottles of beer at the concert. By Wednesday morning, there were hundreds of beer bottle caps imbedded in the freshly-paved street. Holley said 4th Avenue remained closed Wednesday so the caps could be plucked from the pavement.
“We wanted to get the street paved before the concert to get rid of all of the tripping hazards that were on 4th Avenue,” he said. “We had no idea they were going to be selling beer with the caps still on them.”
Sherry Houvouras, owner of City Kids and Co. in the 900 block of 4th Avenue, said construction has curtailed sales during what is normally her busiest time of the year.
“The sidewalk closings and parking spaces that were taken away during construction killed my Thanksgiving and Christmas sales,” the owner of the children’s clothing shop said. “I figured it was no big deal at first because I could make it up at Easter. Well, it’s June now, and they’re still working on it.”
Houvouras and other business owners also have concerns about how the project will affect traffic flow. She said beer and delivery trucks that used to double park on 4th Avenue now will have less room to do so. Holley disagreed.
“We didn’t make the street any narrower,” he said. “It’s the same width as when we started. The only difference is that we turned one of the lanes in each direction into bicycle lanes.”
Bill Wittman, owner of Richard’s Hallmark, wondered why half of the eastbound lane of 4th Avenue was not paved. The two-tone street looks awkward, he said.
The strip of roadway that did not get paved is concrete and, therefore, cannot be paved, Holley said.
“If you do, the asphalt pops out at the joints,” he said. “It would involve continued maintenance.”
The next section of 4th Avenue to get a facelift is between 14th Street and Hal Greer Boulevard. Holley said the work could begin in about two months.
“We’re not doing decorative crosswalks or anything like that between 14th Street and Hal Greer Boulevard, so I don’t foresee any road closures other than paving,” he said.
