News Update: Detours galore through Avondale and Riverside

News Update: Detours galore through Avondale and Riverside

Navigating St. Johns and Riverside avenues is a lesson in patience these days. Residents find that project detours for the Willowbranch and Riverside roadwork are colliding with detours for the JEA’s water main improvement project at Cherry Street. Drivers must also proceed with caution over the narrow temporary “bridges” over streets, such as Bayard, while the JEA’s contractor works under the street.

Currently drivers northbound on St. Johns Avenue must detour left onto McDuff and proceed to Park Street in order to get past the Willowbranch detour and street interruptions.

JEA_TempCrossingWater Main Improvement

Murphy Pipeline Contractors moved a crew to St. Johns Avenue (from King Street to Cherry Street) to install water services under the road in preparation for the pipe bursting work which was scheduled to start on Jul. 22. Currently the work is being done on the south/east side of St. Johns Avenue between King and Cherry streets. The contractor expects to move down approximately one block every one to two weeks, depending on excavation conditions and weather, eventually finishing up at Avondale Avenue.

“We have, for instance, encountered 18-inch thick concrete below the 6-inch asphalt roadway at Cherry St. which takes a little longer than planned. The contractor intends to finish the project as planned in September, with the FDOT following along with the milling and resurfacing soon after,” said Greg Corcoran, JEA project outreach coordinator.

This second phase of the project is mostly residential in contrast to the first phase on Riverside Avenue. Most of this work will continue to occur during the day. The contractor will be required to block some parking spaces along St. Johns Avenue while installing the water main. These areas will be blocked with barricades 24 to 48 hours prior to the work in the area, according to Corcoran.

JEA_atCherrySt JEA_atBayardSt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Street Paving

The first phase of the FDOT paving project on Riverside Avenue (from Peninsular Road to King Street) was planned for Jul. 29 through Aug. 16, except for the block between Stockton Street and Osceola Street. That particular segment is dependent on a possible FDOT drainage design and construction project at that intersection. “We anticipate that portion may be paved in October or November 2013. This will be managed by the FDOT and completely separate from this project,” said Corcoran. Milling of Riverside Avenue, southbound lane from Riverside Park Place to Copeland is expected to begin Aug. 12, with paving expected to be completed by Aug. 15.

Willowbranch Creek

Don’t pray for rain. At least that’s what David Touring, contractor for the Willowbranch and Riverside road project, has at the top of his wish list. “We are still hoping to complete this project in September, at least the pavement so we can open the road.  Every time we get a hard rain it sets us back almost a week,” said Touring.

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