By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — Construction crews are about a month away from completing the $3 million Walkable Olean III along East State Street from Union Street to East Avenue.
Meanwhile excavation work is expected to get underway on the $3.3 million Walkable Olean IV on South Union Street from East State Street to Franchot Boulevard early next week, a spokesman for Millennium Construction, Niagara Falls said on Monday.
Millennium foreman Mike Gardner said traffic will be rerouted soon to accommodate construction of the south half of the mini roundabout at State and Barry streets.
Gardner said the edges of the roundabout will soon be black from all the truck tires that will be scuffing the edges. The concrete top of the roundabout has a rose-colored tint.
Electronic signs have gone up on both ends of the South Union Street project. “We’ll be digging on South Union Street next week,” Gardner said.
Millennium was the low bidder for both Walkable Olean II and IV. As they finish up work on East State Street, workers will be assigned to Walkable Olean IV as that ramps up.
Another roundabout is scheduled for the South Union/Greene Street intersection next to Ried’s Food Barn.
The city got good news a few weeks ago when representatives of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office and state Department of Transportation officials agreed to pay for the cost of paving the South Union Street project.
Mayor Bill Aiello said that will save the city more than $200,000.
On Monday, crews were doing concrete work in front of the Olean Municipal Building and in the 200 block of East State, including driveways. Some work remained to be done in the median as well.
Walkable Olean IV won’t be paved until next spring due to the closing of asphalt plants. Other portions of the project that includes a roundabout will proceed.
The mayor has said he is pleased at how the Walkable Olean Projects are coming together and tie together seamlessly.
The active work zone this week will be from Union Street to Clinton Street. Work will also be moving from the north side of East State to the south side with new traffic patterns. Traffic will be down to one lane with traffic lights at some times.
North Union Street remains closed at East State Street and Times Square and South Barry Street is closed between South Street and East State Street.
To access the Municipal Building, use the Times Square entrances. East State Street entrances are closed during this period of construction.
Times Square is accessible from the south end of North Barry Street. Police Dispatch is accessible from Times Square.
