Racine's historic Sixth Street has a big wound in the pavement today, stretching from Wisconsin Avenue to College Avenue. Parking meters are bagged, there's a big pile of rocks, construction equipment lines one side of the street. And there's a gouge wide enough and deep enough to bury ... well, to bury a new gas line.
Which is just what's going on. KS Energy Services, a subcontractor of We Energies, got the order on Friday to start work Monday. Sixth Street merchants were notified yesterday, as the trucks and diggers showed up.
Today, there's one lane of traffic between College and Wisconsin, and half a dozen machine operators working, despite the bitter cold, on the North side of the street. Sixth Street businesses are still open -- the sidewalk is mostly passable, but care is advisable.
The new trench, a few feet into the roadway from the sidewalk -- it's hard to judge distances under the snow and ice -- will be the location of a new gas line. Once that's installed, We Energies will move farther out into the roadway to install a new water line.
Have faith; by fall of 2009 it will all be wonderful: new sidewalks, streetlights and beautification touches. We've been through this before -- remember Main Street before its renovation? It's definitely worth the pain.
Sixth Street merchants were notified as the trucks showed up!
ReplyDeleteThat's ridiculous.
Merchants have been told all along that work would begin March 3. Those who were preparing - and preparing their patrons - were blind-sided.
If we have two years of miscommunication to look forward to, it will be a miracle if any Sixth Street business survives.
I was surprised to see them also. I was told March 3 as well.
ReplyDelete