Construction progressing on National Avenue
ay through a nearly $4 million project to make several improvements along National Avenue from Sixth to 13th streets.
Portions of National and some side streets have been closed to through traffic, and drivers have had to navigate orange cones in some areas along a divided National since the project began in summer 2015. Crews are addressing the project in sections, and motorists can expect more road closings and detours in the future as work progresses.
Overall, project improvements include new asphalt paving on National, new curbs and gutters, new sidewalks and installation of a new 12-inch water line, as well as the addition of storm sewer pipes and inlets.
The contractor for the project is Amino Brothers Co., Inc., of Kansas City, Kan.
Bob Griffith, project manager, said Friday the new water line from Eighth Street "to just south of 13th Street" has been completed and is in service. Griffith said he now has two crews working on installation of a storm sewer along National from Eighth to 12th Street. A gas company is currently relocating a gas line between Eighth and 12th streets to accommodate the storm sewer, Griffith said.
"On Monday, we'll resume work at 12th Street," he said, adding when that work begins, 12th Street from National to Main Street, as well as Eighth Street from National to Judson Street will be closed to traffic.
Currently, National from Eighth to 13th streets is closed, but portions of the road have been opened for residential traffic, Fort Scott Streets Supervisor Chad Brown said.
"The only cross street closed down is 11th Street from Main to Judson," Brown said. "All water lines are already tied into existing mains from Eighth to 13th streets. The work they're doing now is finishing up installing the new storm sewer on the east side of National."
In the near future, workers will begin installing curb and guttering from Ninth to 11th streets. Griffith said improvements to intersections at Ninth and 10th streets, which include new concrete, are already completed. He estimated that within about two weeks, all of the storm sewer work should be done.
"That's weather permitting," he said. "It needs to be warm to do some of the concrete work."
Work crews will then complete base rock work for rebuilding intersections at 11th, 12th and 13th streets, followed by installation of new sidewalks and drainage. There will also be new traffic signals at Sixth and National. New asphalt along National will be the final phase of the project, Griffith said.
Griffith said as workers complete sections, those portions of roads will open to traffic as the project moves forward. He said he anticipates the entire project to be completed by summer, if the weather cooperates.