Hertel Improvements Soon to Begin
Eric Ortner
North Buffalo RocketConstruction season in Buffalo is already underway. It will soon be arriving in North Buffalo as Hertel Avenue begins the first leg of being completely reconstructed.
The contractor for the project has been decided upon. Hartford Paving was able to make the lowest bid to the City and as a result, they will be doing the work.
Some of the work on Hertel Avenue is currently taking place. According to Public Works Commissioner Joe Giambra, "It actually did start already; the utilities are doing some work now."
Obviously though, most of the heavy construction and digging hasn't begun yet. Mr. Giambra explained, "We're going to have a ground- breaking. The date is still kind of tentative because the governor may want to come in for it. We're looking at the week of May 8th for this to begin."
There will be six stretches for the project. The first leg of construction will run from Starin to Admiral. In each stretch of construction two phases will take place. The first phase will include the installation of the water main and new storm sewer. The second will be the improvement to the roadway and sidewalk.
Travel on Hertel Avenue will continue while this construction is underway. Traffic will be permitted, because while one side of the street is under construction, cars will be allowed to drive on the other side. Joe Giambra advised, "Traffic will be maintained at all times. There is no reason to avoid the area."
Business owners and residents alike have expressed a great deal of concern about the Hertel Avenue Improvements. Joe Giambra commented, "Possible issues include parking. We are going to try to allow as much parking as possible on the street. We're also going to try and get the use of area parking lots. For instance, the Holy Spirit parking lot may be available for residents and businesses to park on, too. But, we haven't worked out all the details yet." He continued, "we'll provide access to everyone's driveway whenever possible."
Other community concerns over the construction include the Italian Festival. Commissioner Joe Giambra said, "We're going to work around the schedule for the Italian Festival. So we are not disrupting the street while the festival is going on, and we are trying to keep every single property owner, resident and storefront informed about when they are going to be disrupted."
Any problems that arise during the construction can be taken up at the field office located at 1296 Hertel Avenue between Crestwood and Colvin. If you didn't make it to any of the public meetings about the construction, and have questions about the project, someone in the office will be able to assist you.
It is important to remember that while this construction may be an inconvenience in the short term, in the long run the benefits will be worthwhile. It is anticipated that the new storm sewer will reduce some of the flooding in the area.
