Greenwood Avenue Opens; Update on Other Projects

Greenwood Avenue reopened today following completion of $2.3M project.  Photos courtesy City of Jackson.

(July 2, 2020 4:15 PM)  The year-long construction project to repave Greenwood Avenue from Mason Street to Morrell Street and build a traffic circle around Austin Blair Park is complete. The scope of the project and weather delays caused this $2.3 million project to fall severely behind schedule. Drivers going through this area will now be welcomed by a new traffic circle, fresh pavement, new curbs, sidewalk ramps, sidewalks, street lights and traffic signals. Below ground, new water and sewer mains have been installed. There’s also increased pedestrian access through more pedestrian crossings and wider sidewalks. This project was started to provide increased traffic flow in and out of downtown, and provide a refreshed corridor for this neighborhood. Greenwood Avenue was plagued with potholes and hasn’t been resurfaced in decades.  Earlier today, the temporary signs and barricades were removed and the street is now open for use.

Martin Luther King Jr Drive between Morrell Street and Mason Street

In the past week, work has focused primarily on the installation of new water main pipe on Morrell Street between Orchard Place and Cooley Place.

Tomorrow, Friday, July 3rd, there will be no work in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

Next week, the primary focus will continue to be water main pipe installation. Once water main installation on Morrell is completed early next week, the focus will turn to water main installation on Martin Luther King Jr Drive from Biddle to south of Morrell. Other tasks scheduled for next week are the restoration of sidewalks between Morrell and Wilkins and the installation of new light pole bases between Mason and Washington.

Franklin Street 

Over the past week, the contractor has worked primarily on replacing the run of sanitary sewer on the west end of the project while the water main has been undergoing a process of disinfection, sampling and testing to ensure it is free of bacteria before being put into service. Test results are expected early next week.

There will be no work tomorrow, Friday, July 3rd in observance of the Independence Day Holiday.

In the first part of next week, the crew will finish the sanitary sewer work by building a new manhole at Higby. They will then, if testing results are successful, move back to working on water main items. The next steps will include connecting the new water main pipe to the city-wide distribution system at each intersection and connecting each house to the new water main. These tasks will require water service disruptions.

The day prior to a planned water service disruption, florescent door hanger notices will be hung on the front door of those houses that will be impacted. These disruptions typically last for four to six hours and residents will likely experience a couple of them. Water service will always be restored before the crew goes home for the night. At no time will anyone be left without water overnight. 

Alley east of Mechanic Street between Cortland and Michigan 

In the past week, no work as done in the alley. Next week, the contractor working for AT&T will begin their work. The AT&T work will look very similar to that already completed by Consumers Energy as it will also entail the installation of new underground manholes and ducts backs between the south side of Cortland Street and the north side of Michigan Avenue. During the course of the AT&T work, there will be periods when Cortland and Michigan will have to be closed to through traffic. They will be closed one at a time – they will not be closed concurrently. The AT&T work is scheduled to take about three weeks to complete.