City and Business Community Prepare for Changes on Main Street

Main Street in Lamar will undergo renovations sometime this fall. The construction project will have an impact in how we navigate around town and on Main Street businesses.

Angie Cue, Lamar’s Community Development Director, presented a Lamar Cone Zone Survival Guide to the council which was created for businesses in anticipation of the resurfacing project. In the only action on the agenda, the Lamar City Council approved the guide and authorized Mayor Roger Stagner and City Administrator, John Sutherland, to sign it.  Several different agencies helped create the guide which offers information on construction, available city resources and strategies for dealing with the resurfacing project.

The first of the three phases for construction is expected to begin this fall. As the project still has to go to bid, there is no specific timeline available.  It will, however, impact businesses between Park Street to Colonia Avenida at the Lamar Canal.  The second phase, anticipated for the spring of 2019 will impact Main Street from Park to Savage Avenue and the final phase will be from Savage Avenue to the south.  The construction involves replacing water and storm sewer lines; relocating utilities for lights and remove the center median along Main Street.  At this point, there will be an impact to traffic flow.  The concrete paving will go three blocks at a time as the final portion of the project.

Customers will always have access to the sidewalks to reach a business. The sidewalks will not be impacted by the project, but there will be some detours needed at the three block intervals because of construction.  The curbs and gutters will be replaced and the crosswalks will be updated with ADA accessible ramps.  Hawk lights, (High-Intensity Activated Cross Walk Beacons) will be added to some of the crosswalks to stop road traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely.  Road traffic will be stopped only as needed.  There will be no parades along Main Street during road work.

By Russ Baldwin