WEEK 2: Street resurfacing and natural gas infrastructure upgrades

More than 32,500 square yards of pavement has been milled, and nearly 11,000 tons of new asphalt placed in the first two weeks of the citywide street resurfacing program.

Thus far, work has focused in west Pensacola, but beginning Monday, March 6, crews also started working in downtown areas to repair concrete features such as sidewalks, curbs, and handicap accessibility ramps.

Milling and resurfacing of downtown city streets is scheduled to begin in mid-April and continue into the summer months. The multiyear construction program encompasses 1,800 blocks of city streets. The streets have not been resurfaced for a decade or more.

Also planned to begin the week of March 6 is the replacement of underground natural gas lines in the Downtown West and South Palafox sectors (refer to the map in Section 5 of this report). Digging and boring work will occur in the city-owned right-of-ways to replace aging cast-iron natural gas lines with new, corrosion-free polyethylene pipes.

The work is expected to present few, if any impacts for vehicular traffic, but pedestrians should expect construction on and/or near sidewalks.

Vehicles parked on city streets must be removed before milling, resurfacing, or gas line replacement work can begin. Property owners are being notified by mail of construction planned for their area. Crews are also distributing information door-to-door 24-48 hours before work is scheduled to begin on a street.

Further information on the street resurfacing program is available by calling the city’s engineering consultant, Atkins Inc., (850) 380-9188 or by visiting the city website.

Information on the natural gas infrastructure improvements is available by calling Pensacola Energy, (850) 474-5300.