Motorists driving on Northwest 16th Avenue may need to modify their daily traffic routines due to the road construction project that started last week.
The 4-mile resurfacing operation will remove and replace existing asphalt, upgrade pedestrian facilities and stabilize the retaining walls along the corridor, according to the Alachua County Public Works Department.
“The pavement is beyond sensible pothole repair,” said Brian Singleton, Alachua County transportation engineering manager.
Daytime lane closures are scheduled to occur throughout January and February, and drivers will not have to worry about detours, Singleton said.
The roughly $8 million project is scheduled to be completed by November and is funded by impact fees, a local-option gas tax and Gainesville Regional Utilities.
The department will add left turn lanes to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Northwest 55th Street and Northwest 23rd Avenue as well as median modifications in high crash-rate areas like the intersection of Northwest 16th Boulevard and Northwest 43rd Street near the Millhopper Shopping Center, Singleton said.
Jake Cunningham, a 21-year-old UF criminology senior who’s lived on Northwest 16th Avenue for two years, said he noticed the deterioration in the road. He said he’s glad that the project is taking place.
“There’s this one spot down (Northwest 16th Boulevard) that has probably had about a dozen potholes,” Cunningham said. “The patchwork is terrible. They just cover it in a lump of asphalt.”
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 1/13/2014 under the headline "Road construction causes delays for drivers on 16th Avenue"
Signs placed on Northwest 16th Street indicate ongoing construction. Many sections of the street are scheduled for closure while the area undergoes improvements.
