Ash Street paving is nearly done
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on October 7, 2005 1:52 PM
Drivers have only a few more days to wait until work on Ash Street is nothing but a memory, the contractor said.
Smooth pavement covered jagged potholes on torn-up sections of Ash this week. New lines mark the median and shoulder and drivers are finally breathing a deep sigh of relief.
Jolette Williams travels down Ash Street daily. While she has been worried for weeks about the driving conditions on her way downtown, the end result is worth it, she said.
"It's a very smooth drive now," Mrs. Williams said. "But it seemed like the roads were gonna stay bad forever."
Kevin Bowen, an engineer with Apac-Atlantic Inc., the contractor for the project, said he is happy with the results on Ash Street. Now that the street is complete, all that remains are a few intersections that require paving, he said.
"We're anticipating about three more days of work," Bowen said. "Right now, we just have to work around the expected weather coming in."
The paving project began Sept. 15. Road crews worked from early evening through the early morning for weeks to mill the road before covering it with fresh pavement.
Rough driving conditions, raised manholes, road closures and confusing detours have concerned those who travel downtown daily and business owners on Ash Street, who said the project limited access to their shops.
Bowen said early next week, drivers will finally have something to smile about.