Sidewalks, Signs and Roadwork Around Town

South Main and Cedar Street Intersection

A quick drive around town provided a view of various municipal and economic projects underway or nearing completion.

Sidewalk Construction at LCC, Ft Bent Canal Bridge

The Fort Bent Canal bridge at the intersection of South Main Street and Savage Avenue continues to progress.  Daniels Construction was awarded the bid for the project.  The bridge spanning the canal was completed several weeks ago and the comprehensive sidewalk project for the east side of Main Street is making progress.  The bridge provides five-foot ADA ramps for the north and south entry points.  That will allow pedestrians a safer passage from Lamar Community College over the bridge and south along Highway 287 away from the traffic flow.  The current sidewalk project ends at the USDA Service Center, adjacent to the Lamar VA Health Clinic.  The sidewalk completion date is in October and the sidewalk is being done by the Castle Rock Construction Company using funding from the Revitalizing Main Streets Program.

Although portions of Main Street are still being detoured around highway 287 work on the west side of the roadway, it’s evident that progress is being made with concrete paving being laid out along with curb and gutter improvements as well as lighting and wiring, storm drainage.  The completion date is also expected in October.

The Historic Cow Palace continues to make gains as the Tavern 1301 Restaurant and Lounge continues to progress towards completion with a limited menu and days of operation at this point.  The signs are going up and work continues on the motel rooms, however some parts for the elevator are still on a waiting list.

After several years, the time and temperature sign at Frontier Bank at Main and Olive Streets has been replaced and is back in business.  It will offer some added visual displays and is programmed with greater specifics on current weather conditions.  Summer temperatures would get so hot there were times the old model would read 106 which could have been interpreted as either the time or the temperature at the moment.

By Russ Baldwin