FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Construction of the Grant Avenue Parkway improvements is progressing on schedule with work in Section Two of the Parkway route (Sunshine to Ildereen) nearing completion and construction in Section Three (Catalpa to Grand) and Four (Grand to State) set to begin in early March.
Section Two
Construction work continues in Section Two between Sunshine and Ildereen where some utility work, construction of the multi-use path, some curb and driveways and a new signal at Portland have yet to be completed.
Next week, City Utilities Electric Division expects to begin converting service from overhead electric lines to newly installed underground lines. This work is anticipated to last 3-4 weeks and may impact individual residents’ electrical service. Residences that may experience a brief outage will be notified via door hanger in advance.
When electrical work is completed in Section Two, two-way traffic may be restored for a time. Construction of the multi-use path in this section is awaiting final acquisition of a small number of necessary easements. As soon as these easements are clear, the contractor will move forward with construction of the path which is expected to take 2-3 weeks.
“It’s difficult to estimate how long it will take to acquire easements needed for any project. With the large number of properties involved in GAP Section Two, it’s taken a bit longer than we originally anticipated,” explains Public Works Project Manager Leree Reese. “We also ran into some weather conditions that impacted the schedule slightly. Aside from that, construction has progressed relatively smoothly and we’re excited to wrap up as soon as we can and move the operation north to the next sections.”
Sections Three and Four
Utility work inside the City’s right-of-way is expected to begin in Section Three (between Catalpa Street and Grand Street) and extend into Section Four (between Grand Street and State Street) beginning in March. This will require a lane closure through both sections to allow one-way southbound traffic only. Northbound traffic will be detoured to Campbell Avenue. Motorists are advised to watch for message boards providing details of this closure and obey all posted construction signage.
Construction in Section Three is expected to continue through fall of 2023.
Upcoming Grant Avenue Parkway Related Job Fair
The City of Springfield and the Missouri Job Center will cohost an opportunity for job seekers to meet with designers, contractors, consultants and labor unions who are involved in the Grant Avenue Parkway to talk about job openings at their respective organizations. The event will take place 10:30-noon, Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Missouri Job Center (2900 E. Sunshine St.).
These are not jobs specific to the GAP project, but rather industry jobs available at participating organizations.
Participating organizations include Carpenters Union, Operators Union, Laborers Union, Shockey Consulting, VSM Engineering, CFS Engineers, Radmacher Brothers Excavating, City of Springfield, Drury University and the Missouri Job Center.
“As a service to the community, our team plans to highlight the variety of careers associated with a large-scale construction project and provide easy access to job seekers looking to pursue those careers,” says Reese. “This is a great opportunity to be involved in bringing transformational projects like the GAP to life.”
For more information on the Grant Avenue Parkway project and to sign up to receive regular project update emails, visit grantavenueparkway.com.
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Media contact: Communication Coordinator Kristen Milam at 573-819-3713 or [email protected].