Don't expect to get somewhere quickly on Main Street - at least not for another two years.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the road construction on Main Street that began Tuesday won't be completed until the spring of 2011, and drivers can expect lane closures and detours as the construction is completed.
The $6 million project will convert the current four-lane road to a two-lane section with 11-foot travel lanes, a 12-foot center turn lane, 5-foot bicycle lanes and on-street parking, according to an FDOT release.
The roadwork will also replace broken sidewalks, upgrade wheelchair accessible crosswalks, add a bus bay in each direction and improve pedestrian crossing and walk signals.
The revamped section of the road will stretch between Eighth and Depot avenues.
Message boards announcing lane closures were put up on Sept. 2, and the lane closures will begin Friday, said Laurie Windham, the project spokeswoman for the planning firm PBS & J, which is working with the FDOT on the project.
Beginning Friday, one lane in each direction will be closed between First and Eighth avenues.
The construction crew will begin removing asphalt and old bricks later this week and early next week, Windham said.
Crews are expected to begin the third phase by the first of the year, which will include construction between First and Depot avenues.
The work in the intersection of Main Street and University Avenue is scheduled for two weekends and will be done at the end of the project, according to the release.
The project will also replace the storm-water system from Depot Avenue to University Avenue and replace some of the traffic light masts.
The road construction, which is designed to increase pedestrian traffic and traffic safety, has been "in the works" between 10 and 20 years, Windham said, but she said was unsure of what took the project so long to get going.
As for traffic, Windham said the construction will be an inconvenience, and drivers should look for alternate routes when possible.
"There's plenty of ways around it," she said. "Avoid it if you can."
More information on the construction can be found at www.nflroads.com.
Lane closures on South Main Street
