ALACHUA – The City of Alachua is making progress on plans to redesign the intersection of NW 142nd Terrace and NW 150th Avenue and city officials expect construction work to begin in early 2013.According to Mike New, Alachua’s public services director, planning and engineering work for the project began in 2007. While there isn’t a firm completion date set, New expects the construction work to be completed in early 2014.
“The construction plans are essentially filed. Our city commission requested a change and that redesign work is currently being done,” New said. “I would be expecting that construction plans will be finalized no later than October or November of this year.”
The project will include the installation of an underground storm water management system, sidewalks, street side parking and intersection realignment.
The original proposal included replacing the existing four-way stop with a roundabout at the intersection, but these plans have been abandoned. New estimates that by not putting in a roundabout, project costs will be reduced between $50,000 and $75,000. The original price tag was an estimated $2.1 million.
In keeping with the design theme of the Main Street and downtown area, both NW 142nd Terrace and NW 150th Avenue will also have curbs, storm gutters, sidewalks, red brick crosswalks and paved side-street parking. The project will constitute the first major aesthetic connection between the Main Street and Alachua Towne Centre areas.
Officials originally hoped that bids would come in lower due to economic conditions. New still expects bids to be low due to the economy.
“Construction costs have been down for four years, ever since the economy went down,” New said. “There’s been so little construction activity that contractors are very aggressive in their bidding.”
There are currently utility poles being installed on NW 142nd Terrace, but that isn’t connected to the NW 142nd Terrace and NW 150th Avenue project.
“The city’s utility poles are completely unrelated to this project,” New explained.
Darryl Tompkins is the chairman of the City’s Downtown Redevelopment Trust Board, the organization funding the costs of the improvements. Tompkins says he believes the project will provide a much-needed pedestrian connection in Alachua.
“Our redevelopment board has been working for a couple of years on this,” Tompkins said. “It will connect Main Street and the shops in downtown Alachua with City Hall and the Town Center.”
“It will connect the two major parts of Alachua together,” Tompkins said.
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According to Mike New, Alachua’s public services director, planning and engineering work for the project began in 2007. While there isn’t a firm completion date set, New expects the construction work to be completed in early 2014.
“The construction plans are essentially filed. Our city commission requested a change and that redesign work is currently being done,” New said. “I would be expecting that construction plans will be finalized no later than October or November of this year.”
The project will include the installation of an underground storm water management system, sidewalks, street side parking and intersection realignment.
The original proposal included replacing the existing four-way stop with a roundabout at the intersection, but these plans have been abandoned. New estimates that by not putting in a roundabout, project costs will be reduced between $50,000 and $75,000. The original price tag was an estimated $2.1 million.
In keeping with the design theme of the Main Street and downtown area, both NW 142nd Terrace and NW 150th Avenue will also have curbs, storm gutters, sidewalks, red brick crosswalks and paved side-street parking. The project will constitute the first major aesthetic connection between the Main Street and Alachua Towne Centre areas.
Officials originally hoped that bids would come in lower due to economic conditions. New still expects bids to be low due to the economy.
“Construction costs have been down for four years, ever since the economy went down,” New said. “There’s been so little construction activity that contractors are very aggressive in their bidding.”
There are currently utility poles being installed on NW 142nd Terrace, but that isn’t connected to the NW 142nd Terrace and NW 150th Avenue project.
“The city’s utility poles are completely unrelated to this project,” New explained.
Darryl Tompkins is the chairman of the City’s Downtown Redevelopment Trust Board, the organization funding the costs of the improvements. Tompkins says he believes the project will provide a much-needed pedestrian connection in Alachua.
“Our redevelopment board has been working for a couple of years on this,” Tompkins said. “It will connect Main Street and the shops in downtown Alachua with City Hall and the Town Center.”
“It will connect the two major parts of Alachua together,” Tompkins said.
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