The detour around the Columbia Avenue construction zone is going to remain in place.
The detour was temporarily put in place a few weeks ago to take northbound traffic from Columbia Avenue to 6th Avenue from 20th to 24th Street.
The contractor asked the city to extend the detour and after consultation with stakeholders, the city has decided to grant the extension.
Based on the input of the 100 people the city heard from, some improvements will be made to the detour zone.
Changes include:
• Extending traffic control at the Chamber of Commerce intersection to prevent congestion
• Adding flaggers at the 24th Street and 6th Avenue intersection to improve traffic flow
• Adding larger and more visible signs to make it clear all businesses are open
• Encouraging the community to support the businesses in the heart of the construction
• Encouraging drivers to be courteous and allow access in and out of driveways
• Enforcing speeding and distracted driving to keep the zone as safe as possible
• Introducing traffic calming measures to minimize traffic and speeding in the residential area
• Adding traffic control at the Columbia Avenue and 24th Street crossing before and after school to ensure all children get to and from school safely
According to the city, the detour replaces single-lane alternating traffic, keeps traffic flowing and minimizes delays, improves safety by giving workers and equipment more space, and improves productivity by detouring traffic away from the construction activities.
During the detour, drivers are asked to avoid blocking entrances to the Ambulance and Fire Halls and to be courteous and stop to let drivers in and out of businesses and houses.
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