Construction going according to plan: High and Limestone intersection closed; no change for businesses

The+intersection+at+South+Limestone+and+High+streets+closed+Thursday.+Construction+for+Limestone+is+going+according+to+plan.+Photo+by+LeeAlan+Yates

The intersection at South Limestone and High streets closed Thursday. Construction for Limestone is going according to plan. Photo by LeeAlan Yates

By Allie Geiman

With one month down and eleven to go, the project that will link the UK and Transylvania campuses to downtown is progressing on schedule, according to the project manager.

The construction on South Limestone, which began July 22, is the first phase of the city council-adopted Streetscape Master Plan, which, as listed on the Web site, features curbside rain gardens, new storm and sanitary sewers, water features, wider sidewalks, bike lanes, and underground facilities.

“The main sewer line has already been installed up to Maxwell Street and the duct bank has been installed just past Keeneland Hall,” Milligan said.

A duct bank is a structure that brings together conduits, in this case the ones that were overhead. Companies such as Insight, Windstream, and Kentucky Utilities will gather their respective cables and bring them underground.

The intersection of High Street and South Limestone was closed yesterday morning to replace aging storm and sanitary sewers. The intersection will be closed for approximately three weeks.

The year-long, $17 million reconstruction of South Limestone initially caused problems with the South Limestone Business Owners Association, which filed for an injunction on July 23 that would have halted construction.

The contention of the Association and reason for filing suit against the city of Lexington was irreparable damage to their businesses because of the work. The injunction was denied, and the work continued.

Robyn Wade, owner of ReBelle at 371 South Limestone, which has been there for nearly three years, is a member of the Association but was not a part of the lawsuit.

“Business hasn’t really changed. We have a very loyal customer base,” Wade said. She noted that sales normally pick up in the fall and winter, when wool is in demand, and expects it to be the same this fall.

Chris Wiggins, bar manager at Soundbar Lounge, also mentioned loyal clientele as a deterrent to any construction-induced business damage.

“It’s not as bad as we expected,” Wiggins said. “We have a lot of events in store that were planned before we knew about the construction. We’re looking forward to reaching out to the college crowd.”

The city has been making efforts to keep the downsides of the construction to a minimum via weekly meetings to debrief business owners and prepare them for the coming week’s work.

“There’s a lot of conflict (between business owners and the city) but when it’s done, it’s going to be amazing,” Wade said.

Rebecca Davis, a computer science freshman, said she had no problems with the construction when moving into the residence halls.

“I live in Holmes, and it didn’t really affect the move-in,” Davis said.

“It’s going to be a long process. We know we’re inconveniencing students, but it’ll be a beautiful streetscape when it’s complete,” Milligan said.