Residents along West Second Street in Seymour look forward to the day when they can drive their vehicle on a paved road again and walk on a new sidewalk.
Right now, though, road conditions and access in the area are less than favorable.
Construction is underway to fix those problems, but in the meantime, people are forced to deal with a number of inconveniences. A dirt and gravel road when it’s dry; a mud pit when it rains; backhoes, dump trucks and other heavy equipment in yards nearly blocking driveways and barricades set up to keep people away.
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But residents and city officials agree it will be worth it when the $3 million project is completed this summer.
Work is actually slightly ahead of schedule, said city engineer Nathan Frey.
“Most major construction will be completed by the end of June,” he said. “Minor items such as grading and seeding of yards and work on sidewalks will continue through August.”
Improvements being made include the addition of a storm sewer to help alleviate flooding, curbs, gutters and a sidewalk on the north side of the street, all of which when paired with the new road surface, will make traveling West Second Street easier and safer for motorists and pedestrians.
Milestone Contractors, out of Columbus, is doing the work and began some initial digging and site work in December. The bulk of the project, however, began this month.
“Currently, 85 percent of the storm sewer has been placed, the old road has been taken up and half of the sub-base has been stabilized,” Frey said. “The contractor is working on the second half now.”
Only a few unforeseen issues have cropped up so far, Frey said, but nothing that has slowed the project down.
“Asbestos was found in the sanitary sewer pipe,” he said. “Also, a water main was in the way of part of the storm sewer line.”
But both issues were quickly mitigated, he said.
Crushed stone will be delivered this week and concrete work on the curblines and driveway approaches will begin within the next few days, he added.
The stretch of road being rebuilt runs from Lasher Drive near Central Christian Church west to Vehslage Road. It’s the first phase of a two-phase project to reconstruct and widen the entire street from Lasher to Vehslage Road.
Eighty percent of the cost of the project is being covered by the Federal Highway Administration using money collected from the gas tax paid whenever motorists fill up at the gas pumps. The other 20 percent will be paid by the city with money that has earmarked for several years, specifically for the West Second Street project, Frey said.
When finished, the newly rebuilt road will be about 4 feet wider, Frey said.
And the best part? No potholes.
No major work has been done to this segment of roadway for decades, Frey added. It was last resurfaced in the 1980s.
Frey said residents and motorists have been patient so far, but advised people to remain cautious when in the area throughout the duration of the project.
“The traffic pattern changes daily,” he said. “Through traffic is still prohibited.”
Darrin Boas, who lives in the 1500 block of West Second Street, said the best part of living in the construction zone is the decrease in traffic.
West Second Street is typically a busy corridor, often used by motorists driving east to bypass U.S. 50 to get to downtown Seymour or to head west toward Brownstown.
The street also is heavily used by students walking to and from Seymour High School.
“The lack of traffic right now is awesome,” he said. “I enjoy that.”
He’s not a fan, however, of the dirt and dust in the air, making it difficult to keep his vehicles clean.
“The dust and chasing down the mail and paper have probably been the biggest issues,” he said.
He also said it would be nice to know what is going on from week to week.
“I think some type of notification from Milestone or the city of what is going on and when would be nice,” he added.
But other than that, he said he really can’t complain too much about the construction.
Jeremy Wischmeier, who also lives in the 1500 block of West Second Street, said he and his family, including two young children, are handling the construction as best they can.
“The worst part about it is getting in and out of our driveway, but the workers have been very accommodating,” he said. “They do a great job at the end of the day at making it accessible, but sometimes through the day, it is tough.”
But the family understands Milestone has a job to do and accessibility may be limited at times, Jeremy Wischmeier said.
“I honestly thought it may be worse than it has been and the contractors have been doing all they can to make it work,” he said. “I am sure it will be worth it in the end and having a sidewalk for the kids will be great.”