West Seventh plan fixes steep intersections

West Seventh Street will undergo a major reconstruction this summer that has been designed with safety in mind. 

Steep intersections will be improved, the roadway will be realigned, and an off-street pedestrian path and sidewalk will be installed, all in an effort to make the city street safer for both drivers and pedestrians.

City Council on Feb. 1 approved the $2.8 million resort tax-funded reconstruction project. Council also approved an amendment to the contract with Robert Peccia and Associates to continue work on the project.

The road will be reconstructed from Baker Avenue to Fairway Drive. The plan breaks the road into four distinct areas, which becomes more rural farther to the west.

Public Works Director Craig Workman said maintaining the culture of the four neighborhoods was paramount during the design.

From Fairway to Karrow, the design calls for a narrower street at 22 feet with no curb and gutter, and no off-street path. From Karrow to Baker, the street will be 25-feet in width and will include curb and gutters. The off-street path will be 10-feet wide constructed of asphalt from Karrow to Geddes and from Geddes to Baker the path will be 8-feet wide constructed of concrete. In addition, a path will connect from Geddes Avenue heading north and ending near the intersection of Flint Avenue and West Sixth Street.

Sewer, water and stormwater will also be replaced or extended throughout the project.

Currently, vehicles traveling eastbound on West Seventh are coming downhill and difficulty stopping at each of the three stop signs on the street. To rectify the issue, landing areas are planned at each stop sign with the intent of reducing the grade just prior to the intersection.

“These areas are intended to improve stopping conditions and promote increased intersection safety,” Workman said.

The wonky intersection at O’Brien Avenue remains a concern. One proposed option is to turn O’Brien into a one-way street northbound between Seventh and Eighth streets.

Workman said the option was included partly at the request of the adjacent property owners and would serve to mitigate the difficulties with the vision triangle at the intersection. The police and fire departments have endorsed the concept.

The city will be upgrading the corridor to include decorative lighting, as it has done with past reconstruction projects. The city will be experimenting on the project by using LED fixtures with the goal of energy savings. The city’s standard use has been 50W High Pressure Sodium lights.

Councilor Frank Sweeney voted against the project noting he disagreed with the lighting. He didn’t want street lights installed on the western most part of the project saying it wasn’t in keeping with the neighborhood from Geddes west.

“People like it dark,” he said. “They don’t want lights out there. I know a number of people along that area and none of them expressed interest in lighting.”

Workman said street lights are an important safety issue with new pedestrian features to be constructed.

“We can’t have a bike path and not have lighting,” he said. “When we’re doing bike path projects we have a responsibility to provide safety lighting. I respect the desires of the neighborhood. We have the lighting designed to be the minimum and it’s not going to be a wash of light.”

The first phase of the project, which included relocation of the gas line by Northwestern Energy began last fall. The second phase includes the completion of utility relocations will take this spring. The final phase of the project includes water and sewer work, reconstruction of the roadway, construction of a pedestrian path and sidewalk, and installation of boulevard lighting. Construction is expected to begin in May and be completed in September.

The city expects to hold a public information meeting on the project in April.