After two years of community-wide engagement, stakeholder and agency coordination and engineering design, construction on the first sections of the Grant Avenue Parkway roadway improvements are beginning this summer.
Construction Sections & Anticipated Timeline
Construction is planned to proceed along the Grant Avenue Parkway route in the following basic timeline and format. Typical Closure Stages as outlined below will be followed in Sections 2-5. The public will be regularly updated with target start dates and progress in each Section as details become available.
SECTION 0 - MILL STREET IMPROVEMENTS
(Campbell to Main)
COMPLETE – Further improvements to the Downtown Loop will come at a later date in Section 6.
SECTION 1 - ILDEREEN TO CATALPA
COMPLETE – Awaiting final landscaping and placemaking elements to be installed closer to full project completion.
SECTION 2 – SUNSHINE TO ILDEREEN
Almost all transportation improvements are complete from Ildereen to University Street, including multi-use path, sidewalk, curb and gutter, driveway connections, raised crosswalks on cross-streets and signal improvements. Utility poles will be removed when all communication lines have been moved to underground. Landscaping is also yet to come in this section. Trees in this section are planned for planting in spring 2024.
Grant Avenue has generally reopened to two-way traffic in section two using a temporary pavement surface. With heavy construction equipment still expected to use this route, the final asphalt pavement is not planned for application until construction is complete between Sunshine and University.
The City has completed acquisition of necessary right-of-way easements between Sunshine and University streets allowing contractor crews to begin improvements in the remaining southern segment of the Parkway route. Work here will require temporary closure of northbound traffic on Grant from Sunshine to University, beginning in late November of 2023. Construction will require various lane closures and traffic impacts at the intersection for approximately three months.
SECTION 3 – CATALPA TO GRAND
Grant Avenue is currently one-way southbound only using the east side of the roadway from Meadowmere Street to State Street. Construction crews have completed utility work and driveway connections along the east side of the roadway and recently shifted to installing utilities along the west side of Grant Avenue.
Acquisition of necessary right-of-way easements is ongoing in these sections. As acquisitions are finalized, crews will begin construction outside of the existing public right-of-way. Construction of a multi-use path, new sidewalk, curb and gutter and the undergrounding of electrical utilities in these sections are still to come.
Major construction in sections three and four of the Grant Avenue Parkway is expected to continue through summer of 2024.
SECTION 4 – GRAND TO STATE
Grant Avenue is currently one-way southbound only using the east side of the roadway from Meadowmere Street to State Street. Construction crews have completed utility work and driveway connections along the east side of the roadway and recently shifted to installing utilities along the west side of Grant Avenue.
Acquisition of necessary right-of-way easements is ongoing in these sections. As acquisitions are finalized, crews will begin construction outside of the existing public right-of-way. Construction of a multi-use path, new sidewalk, curb and gutter and the undergrounding of electrical utilities in these sections are still to come.
Major construction in sections three and four of the Grant Avenue Parkway is expected to continue through summer of 2024.
SECTION 5 – STATE TO WALNUT
SECTION 6 – DOWNTOWN LOOP
Target start date will be shared as construction timeline progresses. Traffic may reduced to one flagged lane for brief periods along the Downtown Loop route (Park Central West, Park Central Square, Boonville and Main) as crews work to facilitate new pavement markings.
Typical Closure Stages to Expect
Construction in Sections 2-7 will progress through the following typical construction and closure stages.
Stage 1: One-way traffic southbound only using the EAST lane. Northbound traffic advised to use the marked detour generally guiding traffic to use Campbell Avenue. Construction crews will demo center and west lanes of roadway and work to construct new west side curb and gutter, stormwater, underground utilities and side road connections.
Stage 2: Section remains one-way southbound. Traffic will shift to use WEST lane. Crews will demo center and east lanes of Grant Avenue and construct new east side curb and gutter, stormwater, underground utilities, street lighting bases and side road connections.
Stage 3: One-way southbound traffic to shift to CENTER lane of Grant Avenue. Crews will construct utility connections, conduct signal improvements, remove existing utility poles, construct sidewalk and trail.
Stage 4: Section will reopen to two-way traffic. Flaggers will direct traffic to allow for pavement milling, resurfacing and final pavement markings.