Date, time fixed for open house on Columbia Street widening

NEWS — The when and the where of a public meeting on the widening of Columbia Street have been confirmed.

The meeting will be Wednesday, Feb. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Sandman Hotel meeting room, 550 Columbia St. It will be in the form of an open house that will include drawings of planned work.

As reported earlier by The Armchair Mayor, the work is scheduled for 2015 and is expected to disrupt traffic during construction. “The current plan involves widening Columbia Street between 3rd Avenue and 6th Avenue to provide designated left turn lanes and new traffic signal infrastructure for the corridor,” a City Hall news release said Wednesday.

“In addition, the project also includes the closure of the left turn on Columba Street at 2nd Avenue.”

The 2nd Avenue left turn has been an issue for years, with many drivers descending the Columbia Street hill using it as a short cut to avoid the light at Third Avenue. However, it requires crossing against oncoming traffic moving up the hill.

“The proposed road reconstruction plan will encompass structural road repairs, curbs, paving, addition of the left turns (widening), street lighting, sidewalks, bus stop enhancements, and medians. The project may also incorporate the rehabilitation of Columbia Street from 6th Avenue to 12th Avenue.”