Roadway work began Monday on Phase II of the Gaines Street Project.
According to the City of Tallahassee website, work will take place from Macomb Street to Stone Valley Way, moving west from the 500 block, and is expected to continue until October.
The changes will include replacement of the curbs, gutters, and sidewalks, which will be widened to allow for more pedestrians to walk.
The area will also include improvements like installing crosswalks, special lighting and street signs to designate the Gaines Street district.
City Engineer Steve Shafer confirmed that the project will take approximately 10 months to one year to complete. “Any businesses in the corridor will be affected but we are trying to minimize that as much as possible,” Shafer said. These businesses will stay open, and the city requests that citizens still patronize these establishments during this time of construction.
A major issue that will congest the area is the change in traffic pattern – a reduction from four lanes to two.
The section of Gaines Street from Macomb Street to Woodward Avenue will temporarily be a one-way, westbound street. Eastbound traffic will be detoured at Woodward Avenue along St. Augustine Street.
Students who commute are expecting to adjust their busy schedules to accommodate for the construction.
Keziah Orr, a third-year-business administration student from Jacksonville, Fla, said traffic will be a hassle. “They should have specific times when they work since that is a very high traffic area for those of us who commute from the opposite side of town,” Orr said. “Now I will have to leave earlier than normal to fight through FSU or downtown traffic to get on campus.”
Citizens can receive updates on the project and get maps of the temporary lane changes by visiting http://www.talgov.com/gaines/index.cfm.