Lexington and, more specifically, downtown Lexington, is a mess.
We all know construction is a pain; it doesn’t need to be reiterated how students and residents alike are inconvenienced with one of the busiest streets near campus being shut down. We’ve all heard it before.
The growing pains Lexington is currently experiencing had to have been expected. Honestly, Lexingtonians knew it was coming; the city is growing faster than it can handle. Poor traffic and overall lack of planning and infrastructure is proof that this city wasn’t built to be as big as it is now.
The Limestone reconstruction, one of Lexington residents’ and students biggest headaches right now, is essential. So is the construction on West Main Street. But how long is it going to last?
Last week the Urban County Council met and discussed the speeding up of the construction along Limestone; apparently construction crews can work until 10 p.m., when they’ve currently been working until 4 or 5 p.m.
“I absolutely support the concept and the plan,â€â€ˆsaid Diane Lawless, 3rd District councilwoman in a Oct. 16 Kernel article. “I just think the way it was done, while many other projects were going, was very flawed.â€
Lawless also said the construction did not have to be as painful and as expensive as it has been for Lexingtonians.
Right now, construction is planned for completion in July 2010, but business owners have requested for the project to be completed by March.
Is it realistic? The construction currently looks never ending. Yes, the added trees will be nice, bike lanes will be a great addition, and wider sidewalks will be fantastic for pedestrians. But right now it’s an eye sore. March definitely sounds like a win over a July finish.
Currently, the council is unsure how much it will cost to plan to negotiate new contracts with the construction company, ATS Construction, and the utilities companies.Lawless said one way to speed up construction was for the company to put in two shifts a day.
If the concern for working late into the night is the students, ATS Construction shouldn’t be too terribly worried. Students living on North Campus haven’t had to hear the constant drone of ambulances speeding up Limestone all semester, an all-too-common noise students become accustomed to very early on — when there isn’t construction.
Speeding up work on Limestone will only benefit them; being able to freely move about on the sidewalks and crossing to the business across the street will be easier once everything is said and done.
Growing pains are just that — a pain. But the end result will be a bigger, better constructed Lexington. Continue to voice your opinions to the Urban County Council. Let Lawless know how you feel; she is this area’s voice for the council. The Limestone construction will eventually come to an end, with both residents and businesses benefiting from the mess.
For now, we’ll have to keep working on finding new shortcuts and routes around campus. At least there’s one benefit to the Limestone construction: the legal jaywalking across Limestone, heading north on Avenue of Champions. Admit it: it’s the one effect of the construction that doesn’t make you wait.
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