Next year, West Tennessee Street between Ocala Road and Monroe Street will begin getting a new look, and a portion of the underground utility infrastructure under the road will get a much needed update, too. To help keep citizens and businesses located along the road well informed about the planned improvements, the City of Tallahassee will host an information meeting in conjunction with the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) public meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the LeRoy Collins Public Library, 200 West Park Avenue.
The meeting is free and open to the public. It will follow an open house format, with a brief presentation at 5:45 by FDOT. Representatives from both FDOT and the City will be on hand to discuss their respective projects and answer questions.
The City’s water pipes and some sewer mains in the area are 50 to 60 years old and need to be replaced. To avoid disturbing a newly paved road, the City is planning to upgrade the water and sewer systems in advance of the FDOT project. Construction for this project is slated to begin in January 2013. As an added incentive for business owners to attend and as a thank you for their time, everyone who attends will be eligible to win one of two Chamber of Commerce annual memberships.
The majority of the City’s construction will be along West Tennessee Street’s northernmost travel lane. The majority of work will be performed during nighttime hours, between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., in an effort to minimize traffic impacts. At the end of each evening’s construction activities, the driving surface will be restored with asphalt patching, and the lane(s) will be re-opened to traffic for daytime use.
Currently, FDOT plans to resurface the existing travel lanes of Tennessee Street, construct pedestrian refuge islands in the median, repair deficient sidewalk, replace noncompliant curb ramps, add mid-block pedestrian crossings, construct access (stairs/ramps) from Tennessee Street to Florida State University and upgrade existing pedestrian signal features. Construction is currently scheduled to begin fall 2013.
For more Florida Department of Transportation District Three information, follow us on twitter @MyFDOT_NWFL or visit www.dot.state.fl.us.
For more information from the City of Tallahassee about this project, please call Alison Faris at 891-8533 or Charles Savering at 891-6163. You can also stay informed by visiting Talgov.com, liking the City of Tallahassee on Facebook or following @COTNews or @COTTraffic on Twitter.
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