By Zak Zeinert, Chief Photographer
If students are tired of road construction and miles of never-ending cones, they may be out of luck for some time.
Students may be displeased to learn road construction on East North 10th Street is only the first of three phases, and the project will continue throughout the year.
Cody Marshall, city of Abilene design engineer, said the work is currently in the first of three stages.
“It mostly just has to do with drive quality. The pavement is 25 years old and in pretty bad shape. We’re going back and totally reconstructing it so that it will last another 25 years.” Marshall said.
Construction started Aug. 4 and stretches from Judge Ely Boulevard to Treadaway.
The first phase is expected to continue for at least two more weeks. The following two
phases are expected to last 4-6 weeks and end in early January. The second phase will stretch from Treadaway to Pine Street,and the third will go from Pine Street to Grape Street. The construction is the result of a bond election that was passed by taxpayers in 2006. Taxpayers approved $19 million for construction to be spread out over a fouryear period.
A committee was then assembled to review and propose which streets to repair. The project is currently in its third year.
Some people, though, have had enough of the endless lines of cones stretching down the road.
Tila Beason, an employee at Shell gas station at the intersection of Judge Ely Boulevard and East North 10th Street, is tired of all the construction.
“It’s crazy. I don’t know why they’re doing it at this street. And the timing is bad, right when all the kids are coming back,” Beason said.
Andrew Cramer, senior marketing major from Houston, used to take East North 10th
Street to work. “Its ridiculous; the cones are so close to your car. I wish they would do it during the summer when no one is here,” Cramer said. Despite this, Marshall said most citizens have responded positively to the construction.
“The only drawback is having to deal with traffic, and traffic having to deal with the construction.” Marshall said.
