Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 1, street parking in the 100 block of Craghead Street adjacent Lou’s Antiques will be unavailable to allow for demolition of the existing sidewalk and installation of brick and concrete pavers.
The project is scheduled to take 60 days to complete. Until then, the public is reminded that parking is available in the lot located between Lou’s Antiques and Jake’s on Main. Parking also is available in the paved area between the two bridges from the Main Street Plaza to the trailhead for the Riverwalk Trail.
All travel lanes in the block, which extends from Main Street to Patton Street, are expected to remain open; however, motorists are encouraged to slow down and exercise caution when approaching the block.
With the use of brick and concrete pavers, the sidewalk replacement will follow the same theme as used in the Main Street streetscape and the pedestrian promenade in the Main Street Plaza. The sidewalk, however, will not be widened. The project also does not include the installation of benches and other amenities as provided in the Main Street streetscape.
The city of Danville has set aside $27,077 from its annual state allocation for street maintenance to pay for the work. Quality Construction won the bid for the project.
In addition to the Craghead Street sidewalk, Opera Alley will receive improvements. Opera Alley is a public alley located between 535 Main St. and 539 Main St. adjacent Ferrell Lofts. A parking study conducted for the River District recommended improvements in order to create a more pedestrian-friendly connection from the parking areas on Patton Street to the retail space on Main Street.
Those improvements include removing the existing asphalt and cobbles and installing brick and concrete pavers to coordinate with the Main Street streetscape. Underground drainage lines will be installed, as well as electric conduit to allow for future installation of security lighting. Painting of a portion of building exterior and replacement of damaged siding also are planned.
The project, which was included in the list of capital improvement projects approved in June by City Council, will cost $47,690, with the total amount coming from the city’s General Fund revenue. Quality Construction is the contractor. Completion is expected in 60 days.
