Construction Update - May 20, 2010

We continue to make significant progress on the 100 Block of S. Gay Street despite the periods of rain we have experienced lately. I did not realize how ominous the sky looked when I took the following two pictures.

The western sidewalk work is progressing and we are also pouring concrete for the roadway as we go, progressing from Vine Avenue northward.

Plans are to begin the colored topping for the eastern sidewalk this week. This work will occur primarily after hours so issues of building access can be minimized.

We believe once we get started here, work will proceed quickly.

We are all hoping to have the entire eastern sidewalk section completely finished by First Friday in June.

The picture below is of the rubber coating which is used to set the new colored concrete. Use of this product, along with extensive caulking, will minimize any water issues in the future.

The amount of caulking needed on this job is measured in miles and the 200 Block is currently being caulked between each band and section of sidewalk.

The work on the western sidewalk of the 100 Block is proceeding as we had hoped.

We now have the structural concrete poured for the sidewalk in front of the restaurants and have proceeded into the next section of sidewalk which is in front of Wells Fargo and Unarmed Merchants. Our plans are to have the structural concrete poured back here by First Friday in June as well.

The picture below is of the new sidewalk in front of Nama and Ollantays Havana Nights and also of the new concrete poured for the eastern portion of the roadway. The remaining western section of roadway here will be poured today, as I understand it.

I attended a demonstration for a parking kiosk this week. Our plans are to have two parking kiosks located on each side of the street in the center of the block. The City of Knoxville has not used this technology before for on street parking. The kiosk shown in the picture below is named "Luke" after the scene in Cool Hand Luke where Paul Newman, how should I say this, 'confiscates' the contents of parking meters. This machine is actually pretty amazing in its capabilities. I will post more on this later as we decide which options are used.

This type of meter will also be used on the Jackson Avenue parking lot when it becomes a managed lot this fall.

Thanks to Richard Huskey of Southern Constructors for these nice aerial shots taken of our work site.

There have been several close encounters of pedestrians and cars exiting the O.P. Jenkins parking lot in the 200 Block now that that section of roadway has reopened and City Engineering will be placing some traffic control measures here to better alert drivers and pedestrians to the hazards.

In the meantime, please be very careful here along the eastern sidewalk.

Vine Avenue has now reverted back to its original one way designation without any issues as far as I know.

Lastly, in order to finish up the remaining electrical work, we plan to completely close Jackson Avenue at the Gay Street Viaduct beginning June 1, 2010 for approximately two weeks. We will need one last closure here, probably in July, to finish up. Pedestrian traffic will be maintained at all times.

Thanks for your interest.