Downtown traffic impacts expected in about a month

Deteriorated drainage infrastructure is the main reason for the project. The whole drainage system from the square to Earnest Street is going to be replaced, which will require tearing up both sides of Blue Ridge Street and going under the road in front of City Hall.

City officials have decided to accomplish multiple goals by attaching road resurfacing and sidewalk rehabilitation as well – those projects would be needed in the near future anyway – with construction consolidation serving to minimize impacts to the public in the long term.

Stormwater drainage will be replaced at City Hall, Merchants Walk, and the entire length of Blue Ridge Street between the square and Earnest Street; the sidewalks in that corridor will be rehabilitated; Blue Ridge Street will be resurfaced to Earnest Street; and an elevated crosswalk/speed table will be installed as a safety upgrade to the existing City Hall crosswalk.

Construction is starting with the stormwater outfall repair at the retaining wall of the City Hall parking lot, and the parking lot itself will be taken up to replace collapsing pipes that bring water from the road to the outfall. This part of the project is expected to last about a month.

Shortly before work wraps up at City Hall, Colditz will close Blue Ridge Street’s roundabout exit at the square to begin replacing the drainage under the road to Merchants Walk. The sidewalk coming from the square will also be closed at that time.

Again, Colditz believes it will take about a month to get to the point of closing off Blue Ridge Street to vehicles coming from the square, at which point the lights for the City Hall crosswalk will also be temporarily taken down.

The roundabout exit and sidewalk stay closed for the duration of project once construction makes it to the roadway, but importantly, one travel lane on Blue Ridge Street will remain open to traffic heading toward the square, effectively establishing a temporary one-way.

So, cars on Blue Ridge Street will be able to enter the downtown roundabout, though motorists looking to exit the square onto Blue Ridge Street will instead have to use Hunt-Martin Street as an official detour.

After fixing the drainage at City Hall and Merchants Walk, Colditz will replace the drainpipes on the north side of Blue Ridge Street before moving to the south side, which will shift traffic going to the square to the other lane of travel to keep things flowing.

Once the new drain system is in place, Colditz will install curbs, gutters and upgraded sidewalks before finishing with resurfacing the road.

Colditz is hoping to finish all construction in three or four months to re-open both lanes and the roundabout exit, but representatives said it could take longer depending on what they find in the ground and the weather. Resurfacing will be the quickest part of the project.

Electronic message boards will be displayed at various locations near the downtown area to alert motorists to the construction and Hunt-Martin Street detour, and people are being asked for patience while the necessary repairs are made.

“It’s a short-term inconvenience for a long-term solution,” said Kevin Hamby, the SPLOST projects manager for both the City of Blairsville and Union County Government. He went on to add that the $1 million project will be paid for with SPLOST funds.

Blairsville Mayor Robert “Buddy” Moore also wants residents to take extra precautions driving through that area to avoid injuring construction workers.

Additionally, Moore noted that City Hall will remain open during construction, but people will need to park behind the building while drainage is being repaired under the City Hall parking lot. Businesses on Blue Ridge Street will also be open throughout the project.

This is a developing story. More information will be published as construction progresses.