By Madeline Fuerstenberg, Community Reporter
The projected timeline for the State Street reconstruction project has been lengthened, moving the project’s completion into early November, according to Jeremy Gragert, Eau Claire City Council’s District 3 representative.
Construction began on June 19, prompting the closure of major entry points to UW-Eau Claire’s lower campus and the Third Ward. The project was originally predicted to be complete by early October, according to the UW-Eau Claire website.
An earlier CVPost story noted that the city’s tentative completion date was Oct. 18.
State Street traffic changes
Gragert said the project will make several changes to traffic on State Street.
To the south of the State Street hill, multiple roundabouts have been installed to better regulate the flow of traffic and make intersections safer to use.
The State Street hill itself is going from four lanes to two. Bike lanes are also being added.
At the bottom of the State Street hill a push-activated, flashing yellow traffic light will be installed at a crosswalk. This will allow pedestrians to cross State Street in greater safety by encouraging drivers to be extra cautious. Additionally, a pedestrian island will be added to the center of the street for added ease in crossing.
Eventually, Gragert said, the traffic light at Garfield Avenue and State Street will be updated to feature a pedestrian cross signal that functions on its own phase, preventing drivers leaving campus on Garfield Avenue from turning left while people are crossing.
All of these changes, Gragert said, are intended to create a safer environment in an area with heavy traffic flow. Gragert also said he hopes the changes will encourage more students to walk to classes, rather than drive.
“The more we can do, as a city and as a university, to reduce dependence on automobiles, the more environmentally-friendly the campus and community will be, the safer it’ll be, the more healthy it will be,” Gragert said.
“Ultimately, we’ll have more land to build more buildings or have more green space or have more housing, as opposed to finding more spaces for cars which, really, do not have much of a societal benefit when they’re just sitting there parked somewhere,” he added.
In order to route traffic flow around the construction, a signed detour has been created and bus routes have also been detoured to accommodate the closures.
Some complaints
Gragert said there have been some complaints about the inconvenience of the construction, but he noted that the city has been trying to make it easier for students and community members to bike, walk or use transit around State Street and campus – especially considering the lack of parking space in that particular area and the other geographic obstacles that area presents.
He said the city hopes to see the State Street construction conclude before the ground begins to freeze and working conditions become unfavorable due to harsher weather. It’s a big project that is being fitted into around four or five months, he added.
“It takes time to get the contractors and the contracts signed and everything,” Gragert said. “This was voted on in March by the City Council and it wasn’t until May or so that we actually had the contracts signed … (Construction) started in early June and it’s just such a big project that it took this kind of time.”
City Engineer Dave Solberg did not respond to several requests for comment on the project.
Roundabout debate slowed project
To avoid overlap with the school year, Gragert said it might have been possible for the construction near campus to start a bit earlier. However, the planning process was slowed by debate over whether or not a roundabout would be added at the bottom of the State Street hill.
This idea was ultimately abandoned because it would take up too much space and cut into private properties.
“People should be patient;” Gragert said, “give themselves extra time, consider walking and biking – or taking the bus if they maybe haven’t before – and just really be aware of other road users and other pedestrians.”
While construction is continuing, Third Ward residents who live along the closed-off area of State Street have been offered an alternative means of parking while some of their driveways are closed off. Gragert said the city has created permit-only parking spaces on nearby streets for these residents.
Dean of Students’ comments
LaRue Pierce, UW-EC’s dean of students, said the city has worked to accommodate any inconveniences some students – especially commuting students – might face as construction continues.
“Students have been really accustomed to construction,” Pierce said in an interview. “We’ve had a lot of different construction projects on campus and the students have learned how to navigate a lot of those particular areas that are blocked off.”
Pierce said the construction is happening on the city’s timeline and the city has been communicating with the university in terms of closings updates. Pierce said there is no ideal time for construction like this to occur, but it will ultimately be beneficial despite the current inconveniences.
“They’re improving the infrastructures around the entire area that the university is at, but also improving the infrastructure for our neighbors,” Pierce said. “So, of course, if it assists our neighbors, it also benefits the university.”
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