Paving will create problem

Traffic: Union Avenue work means drivers will wait

MATT BATCHELDOR; The Olympian | • Published September 11, 2009

Comments (0)

photos Photos

OLYMPIA – Union Avenue, one of the city’s key downtown connectors, is getting a fresh coat of pavement that will cause traffic delays this month.

Two of the four lanes on Union will be closed at times while the street is ground down and repaved from Capitol Way through the Plum Street intersection. Just one lane in each direction will remain open, so drivers should plan to use alternate routes if possible.

The work is part of a nearly $1 million project, funded by the national economic-stimulus package. Crews from KBH Construction of Olympia began work on the street in earnest Thursday and are expected to be finished by the end of September.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” said Jim Rioux, project manager for the city. “I think it’s going to be a great improvement for that area.”

The road has been in rough shape, especially recently. It repeatedly has been torn up as work began on the new Washington State Employees Credit Union building at Franklin Street and Union Avenue. That building is nearly finished.

Road work generally will occur between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, but some night work also is scheduled, according to the city. Crews are set to work from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. today. Work near apartment buildings in the vicinity of Jefferson and Franklin streets is set to end by 10 p.m.

Night work also is scheduled Sept. 22-23 and Sept. 28-29.

New traffic-detection devices, which trigger turn signals, will be installed at Jefferson and Plum streets, Rioux said. Part of the project is finished; new sidewalk ramps have been installed throughout the corridor.

Matt Batcheldor: 360-704-6869

mbatcheldor@theolympian.com