Main Street project to enter second phase
With the second section of the downtown project set to officially begin in the next couple of weeks, affected parties are gearing up for more street closures.
Until recently, most traffic has been able to access East Main Street via Morford Street and Court Square while West Main Street has been closed at Chancery Street. The section of Court Square at East Main Street has undergone demolition and more street closures are being planned for later this month, when Morford Street access to the courthouse is closed to traffic.
Construction officials meeting with business owners and government officials last week said they expect to close Morford Street access to the courthouse and post office later this month in order to start on what is called Section B. That section was originally planned to be from the northwest section of Court Square to Spring Street, but construction officials said they only plan to work in the Court Square area in the immediate future. The closure could result in those areas being closed until June or July.
“At the end of July, we will be ready to open it totally back up,” EG&G construction administrator Rob Clary told representatives of a bank, post office and courthouse last week. “But that’s not to say it couldn’t be opened sooner.”
The meeting was designed to discuss logistical matters among the affected parties, including where judges, Warren County Sheriff’s Department staff and others who have business at the courthouse should park and how patrons will access the post office and Regents Bank, formerly Union Planters Bank, as well as other businesses.
Public Works director Bill Brock also confirmed plans are to open up West Main Street and west Court Square concurrent with the closure of Morford Street at Court Square.
Construction crews have been working at west Court Square and Depot Street for the past several weeks with that goal in mind so that traffic can travel down West Main Street and exit to Colville from Depot Street near the Chamber of Commerce building.
The original phasing plan, also changed to ease traffic concerns, would have had West Main Street and west Court Square closed to traffic for much longer since it’s a one-way street and the original first phase ended at west Court Square.
As the second phase of construction approaches reality, Main Street officials are noting the existence of long-term parking between Main and Colville Streets and an empty city parking lot located off Spring Street. Main Street McMinnville Director Chris Wilson said there are 650 parking spaces available for court house staff and visitors, the post office and East Main Street businesses.