Two road projects planned in Greenwood this summer are starting later than planned, but city officials say the work should still finish on schedule.
Construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue as well as a rebuild of Emerson Avenue from Main Street to County Line Road were both set to start by the beginning of June, but won’t begin until later this month.
Work on the new roundabout was set to begin as early as June 1, but city officials have held off on starting the work because of delays with another nearby project, city engineer Daniel Johnston said.
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To keep traffic flowing smoothly during construction in downtown Greenwood, the city doesn’t want Meridian Street to be closed at the same time the roundabout is under construction, he said.
At the intersection of Meridian Street and Surina Way, work is underway to lower a hill to improve visibility for drivers and crews are making preparations for the connector road going west to Market Plaza. The project was delayed for several weeks while workers were waiting for utilities to be relocated, Greenwood capital projects manager Kevin Steinmetz said.
But a dry spring allowed workers to make up some of the missed time, as well as get ahead on other projects, he said.
Work on the Meridian Street project is expected to be complete as early as the end of this week, which would allow work on the roundabout to begin Monday, Steinmetz said.
Work on Emerson Avenue will also begin later than originally planned. That project was initially projected to start by the end of May, but won’t begin until Monday at the earliest, he said. The project includes repaving the road and replacing much of the center turn lane with a grass median.
The contractor is asking for permission to do some of the work at night, which will lessen the impact on drivers’ commutes, and the expectation is that the project will still be complete by November, Steinmetz said.
Other projects are progressing either on time or ahead of schedule, Steinmetz said. Work on reconstructing Madison Avenue between Pearl and Noble streets is going as expected, he said.
When work at the intersection of Meridian Street and Surina Way was delayed, workers were able to get further along with construction of the connector road between Surina Way and Market Plaza as well as the parking lot being built north of Our Lady of the Greenwood Catholic Church, Steinmetz said.
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Here is a look at the upcoming projects in Greenwood:
Madison Avenue
Cost: $2 million
Project details: A reconstruction of Madison Avenue from Pearl Street to Noble Street. The project will involve removing the center turn lane, adding a 12-foot-wide trail with a grass buffer, two marked pedestrian crossings, one of which will have a stop signal.
Emerson Avenue
Cost: $3.5 million
Project details: A rebuild of Emerson Avenue between Main Street and County Line Road. The center turn lane will be replaced with grass and concrete medians and the road will be repaved. A start date for the next phase of the project — new signals at three intersections, decorative street lighting and a 10-foot trail on the west side of the road — hasn’t been determined.
Smith Valley, U.S. 31, Madison Avenue
Cost: $3 million
Project details: A new roundabout at the intersection of Smith Valley Road and Madison Avenue, removing several left turn lanes and adding a jug handle turn at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Smith Valley Road.
Surina Way and Market Plaza connector road, new parking lot
Cost: $3.7 million
Project details: A new road will be built south of the Greenwood Public Library between Surina Way and Market Plaza. The intersection of Meridian Street and Surina Way will be lowered to increase visibility for drivers. A 178-space parking lot with an underground stormwater retention system will be built at the southeast corner of Meridian Street and Surina Way.
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