PORT ANGELES – The downtown sidewalk and water main project that had remained west of Cherry Street during the holidays moves east this week.
In Port Angeles, beginning today, Laurel Street will be closed to all vehicle traffic between Front and First Street for the next two weeks.
The alley between Front and First will remain open to one-way west-bound traffic from Lincoln Street to Oak Street.
Vehicles will enter the alley from Lincoln Street and exit onto Oak Street.
Construction work during the closure will involve reconstruction of the sidewalk on the west side of Laurel Street.
It will include removing the failing sidewalk slab and then building footings, columns and beams to support the new sidewalk over the remaining portion of the historic Port Angeles Underground area below.
Traffic also will be reduced to one lane on Front Street from Oak to Laurel streets so the sidewalk along the street’s north side can be removed and replaced.
The closures will last from about 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. today through Friday.
Both lanes of traffic on Laurel and Front Streets will reopen to vehicle traffic after work is completed for the day.
Businesses in the construction area will remain open with temporary footbridges for pedestrian access.
Construction began in late October and was expected to last until about April.
The City Council awarded the $2.4 million contract to IMCO General Construction of Bellingham at its Sept. 4, 2007 meeting.
The project is the final phase of a three-part effort to replace downtown sidewalks and old cast-iron pipes of varying diameters that don’t provide the water volumes needed for modern fire fighting equipment and which are prone to leaks and ruptures.
Project information, maps and updates are available on the city’s Web site at www.cityofpa.us/DowntownWaterMainProject.htm.
