Posted: Friday, July 3, 2009 12:00 am
The work at Water Avenue and Jackson Street may cost $500,000
The intersection of Water Avenue and Jackson Street on Albany's riverfront will get a facelift this summer.
The cost, including railroad crossing protection to be paid for by the state with federal money, may reach about half a million dollars.
City officials including the council and the downtown urban renewal advisory board have agreed to upgrade the intersection as envisioned by a Water Avenue "streetscape" plan adopted earlier.
The intersection pavement will be raised a few inches and feature concrete pavers in the middle, with ramps on both sides of Water Avenue.
Also, ODOT insisted that stop signs be installed on Water Avenue, which will put an end do the uninterrupted traffic now allowed along its entire length.
Ron Irish, the Albany city traffic engineer, said there will be no stop signs on Jackson Street, the north end of which serves as the driveway for the Wheelhouse development project on the riverfront.
It will be the only place in town where a driveway gets traffic preference over street traffic.
ODOT was concerned that otherwise cars might stop on the Water Avenue rail line just as a train is approaching, according to Irish.
ODOT will pay for rail crossing protection at the intersection. The cost is unknown, but previously officials have quoted $250,000 for such installations.
The city has estimated that the upgrade of the intersection itself will cost more than $200,000.
The project now is being designed before being put out for bid. Irish said the city hopes to get the construction work done by September.
Street traffic at the intersection has been light, and the tracks have been used by two freight trains a day.
Still, Irish said, ODOT insisted on the crossing gates as the former Buzz Saw restaurant site was being redeveloped.
The four-story Wheelhouse building, still under construction, is intended to house a restaurant and offices.
Democrat-Herald