$9M project on West Fairview Avenue offers chance to revamp west side corridor
Workers have started construction on West Fairview Avenue just off the interstate in Montgomery with a plan to reduce its four lanes to three and add sidewalks, and city leaders see the movement as a positive sign for future growth.
“The thing I like about it is now we see progress," City Councilor Franetta Riley said.
The 18-month project will take the street's four lanes down to two travel lanes and one turning lane. The $9 million endeavor runs between the Interstate 65 interchange and South Court Street.
Money for the revamp comes from the Federal Highway Administration.
Councilor Andrew Szymanski called the construction a catalyst for growth in the area, which serves as the western entrance to the city.
Efforts to lay the groundwork for the project started 10 years ago. “This is not just a roads project," Mayor Steven Reed said, adding that the slower speeds and sidewalks will make the storefronts more accessible.
He also said that the city has been working with private developers and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce to bring businesses to the corridor, which a study showed has a dire need for retailers, including food options such as restaurants and grocery stores.
The project will also add landscaping, replace aging traffic lights, consolidate utilities and improve drainage. The goal is to beautify the area, said Cedric Campbell, the regional vice president of Goodwyn Mills Cawood, the project engineering firm.
Dubose Construction Company, based in Montgomery, is serving as the general contractor.
Reed celebrated that the construction is putting people to work in their own community.
The mayor said the city has invested $19 million into building a new fire station in the area and celebrated the development of Freedom Village Housing complex, designed for seniors, last week. The city is also planning renovations to the Fairview Farmers Market.
Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: City begins $9 million project to revamp West Fairview Avenue
