Granary owner relieved to have street open again

The end of construction couldn’t come fast enough for Granary owner Mearc Davie.

The city announced Friday the first phase of the Eighth Street water main replacement project had wrapped up.

For more than five weeks business owners from Campbell Avenue to Arlington Avenue, already hurting from the pandemic, had to put up with the headache of construction outside their doors.

Davie estimates the road work alone cost his business roughly $150,000.

“It was just a huge kick in the face. The work did need to be done, but it was almost like the city saying we don’t care about your business.”

“In my opinion, the city could have put it off for even a few months, or when the roads were empty and everyone was at home”

Davie said he expects to see more walk-in traffic now that the street is open, but is tempering his expectations after the COVID-19 case at a Canadian Brewhouse location.

In an email, the city said the construction signs in the area are being removed Saturday morning. It says it is being done at this time for safety reasons during the weekend off-peak time which has lower traffic volume.

That portion of Eighth Street will be open to traffic on Sunday at 6 p.m.

The city will start the second phase of the project on Monday at 7 a.m.

During construction, the eastbound lanes from Sommerfeld and Preston Avenue will be closed and traffic will be diverted into the westbound lanes.

Left-turn restrictions and detours will be in place. Access to businesses along the south side of the street will be maintained using Seventh Street East.

This phase is expected to take approximately four weeks to complete.

The entire project is on schedule to be complete by the end of August.