Though road repairs are expected to continue down 2nd Street for the next several weeks, officials with the City’s road department say they’ve taken extra care to ensure downtown businesses aren’t negatively affected by these “moving closures.”
Portions of 2nd Street have been closed since road work started on Jan. 6, but according to Street Manager Kevin DeRossitt, the road crew only repairs one section of the street for three days at a time, then the street is opened back up again.
“We try to keep it open on weekends so as to not disrupt businesses,” DeRossitt said. “[Other news sources] have said we’re closing 2nd Street for eight weeks, but that’s not the case.”
These repairs are focused on replacing concrete banding that has broken loose from its base due to heavy traffic flow. DeRossitt said some of these one-foot bandings broke loose and crumbled to rubble after passing vehicles caused them to bounce up and down and fall apart. DeRossitt and his team are now having to remove the broken bandings and re-pour new concrete in what he called the worst-hit spots down 2nd Street.
The first road closure lasted three days between Daviess and Frederica St. and the City’s road crew is expected to complete repairs on the second closure, from Daviess to Allen St., by Friday. The road crew will then open that roadway back up and move on to the next area of repairs at the St. Ann St. intersection, before finally moving onto the Frederica St. intersection.
Though downtown parking spaces are few and far between as is, businesses temporarily affected by these closures say they don’t have much to complain about because of the City’s communication and efficiency.
A complicated underground roadwork project on Breckinridge St. lasted months, and some people blamed the RWRA project for the closures of Owensboro Music Center and JD’s Diner. In this case, however, one 2nd St. business said the road closures have actually improved business.
“Our lunch crowd has been really good because people stay downtown and hang longer after finding their parking spaces,” said Ashley Vanover, General Manager at the Creme. “There’s never really an awesome time for road work, but it’s obvious the City is doing its best to work with the businesses affected by it.”
Byron & Barclay Owner Jessica Woods said her store was informed of the road closure ahead of time, and that she’s heard very few complaints since road work began.
“They are closing the road in sections at a time, so the portion in front of our store won’t be closed for long,” she said. “The concerns we’ve heard are mostly about parking, but parking is pretty easy for us because the parking garage is right behind our store.”
DeRossitt echoed that statement, saying road crews are replacing the concrete bandings as quickly as possible before warmer weather hits.
“We’re doing all the maintenance we can during winter, before all the big spring and summer events are held downtown,” he said.
