Downtown renovations halfway complete

By Staff
Nathan Strickland
Phase one of Russellville's downtown Streetscape Project is almost complete. The 80 percent, federally funded renovation is projected to help downtown become more handicap accessible and help beautify the area.
Every corner on Main Street is set to be re-measured and reach out 14 to 17 feet from the already established curb.
Project Inspector Steve Dean said he was apart of the Tuscumbia renovations, and the only problems there involved motorists. "Some drivers may have a little trouble making a right-hand turn because of the extended corners," he said. "But turning left shouldn't leave anyone with any problems."
The construction, which traded out the traffic lights for stop signs last summer, is going to replace two of those traffic lights. These lights will be hung on the main strip at the crossings of Lawrence Street and Madison Street.
Dean said the constructionists do in fact have certain deadlines to maintain. "The workers have 90 working days to finish the first phase," he said. "Then they can begin on the next and final phase."
City Council member William Nale said the project is almost there. "I believe they are about 30 days into the first phase," he said.
Phase one of the Streetscape Project includes only the street aspect of downtown. Phase two will focus more on the landscape such as shrubbery and flowers. Nale hopes eventually downtown business owners will add to the project." Hopefully the business owners downtown will maybe start doing more work so they can upgrade their buildings and start enhancing them," he said. Even though the renovations will not be completely finished, plans to decorate downtown for Christmas are still set for late November, early December.
H&N Construction Company is overseeing the project and Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood Inc. are handling the engineering aspect.