KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — North Central Street has a new look. Construction on the streetscapes project started in January 2018, and now the project is almost complete.
The project was expected to take between 15 and 18 months. Anne Wallace, Deputy Director of Development for the City of Knoxville, said crews are well within that window.
“Crews are doing the final markings,” Wallace said. “They’re doing some touch-up work to the sidewalks, like sandblasting to make a special pattern for them.”
The project in total cost about $5.2 million dollars, adding more sidewalks, bike lanes, green space and a linear park. That total includes the extra $250,000 city-county leaders added to the project in April. Some of that money went toward digging up old trolley tracks underneath the road.
“The street is set for the next several decades to really serve this area to encourage investment,” Wallace said.
According to Wallace, improvements to the landscape will begin this fall.
As the project on North Central Street is coming to an end, crews continue to work on the streetscape project on Magnolia Avenue. Crews began on phase one last August near Jessamine Street, west of Magnolia Ave.
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Since construction began, crews are installing a new stormwater system and designed the new gateway monument, a limestone carving of the magnolia flower.
South Jessamine will be closed for several weeks while crews work on storm drainage and install traffic signals and street lighting conduits.
Soon the area will have new stamped crosswalks, stamped medians, on-street parking, bike lanes and LED street lights. Phase one of the project should be complete by Fall 2019.