Road work is scheduled to begin Monday, June 6, 2016, on a small portion of Manhattan Avenue between South Purdue Avenue and Northwestern Avenue. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
A short section of Manhattan Avenue will be rebuilt, and that section of the street could be closed for about three weeks.
The work is scheduled to start Monday, June 6, on Manhattan Avenue between South Purdue and Northwestern avenues.
Manhattan Avenue will be closed there to through traffic, and alternate routes could be in place for about three weeks, a press release said. Only residents will be allowed access to the roadway and their driveways.
“A road reconstruction is a major project for the City of Oak Ridge, as usually we only mill and resurface streets,” the press release said. “Due to the subsurface failure of this portion of Manhattan Avenue, reconstruction of the roadway is necessary.”
This project is being funded primarily by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and the work will be managed by TDOT. Rogers Group Inc. is the contractor for the project.
Oak Ridge officials said the current schedule could be changed and/or interrupted due to weather conditions.
“Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this project,” the press release said. “Once the work is completed, this portion of Manhattan Avenue will be a smooth driving surface.”
Manhattan Avenue is a busy road that runs through the Woodland neighborhood and past Woodland Elementary School, and it connects the area around the Oak Ridge City Center and South Rutgers and South Illinois avenues to the area around Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive.
The section between South Purdue and Northwestern avenues is pockmarked with some potholes and pavement patches, and drivers can sometimes be seen swerving to avoid the bumps and potholes.
Manhattan Avenue will be rebuilt between South Purdue and Northwestern avenues, and the work is scheduled to start Monday, June 6, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
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James Moore says
What about the section of Manhattan going AROUND The City Center? There are multiple potholes several inches deep between Walmart and the restaurants.
johnhuotari says
I could be wrong, James, but I think that might be a private road. I’ll have to double-check that.
Jason Allison says
Private property
Ray Evans says
That is a private ring road that is a part of the 60 acre Main Street project.
Sam Hopwood says
Then that area will probably be spruced up in ten or twelve years when Main Street comes to town.
Just havin’ a little fun Ray. 🙂
Seriously, is the Rodgers Group doing this project? As I look around town at the paving projects that they have done, it does appear that the quality of their work is lacking something. West Tenn. by the hospital is full of large depressions as is the street by the high school. Is the city really getting their money’s worth from them? Perhaps it really is time to give Duracap a shot at it. What do we have to lose??
Philip W Nipper says
Your are right Sam. I see too much asphalt “slippage” after one of their resurfacing jobs then what would be considered acceptable or normal. The western end of Hendrix Drive is a perfect example. Its not been right since Rodgers resurfaced it a few years ago and it has not been properly corrected. I am sure there are other examples including Providence Road.
Matt Bailey says
Local jobs. Sales tax. Perhaps the asphalt is a little grayer on the other side.
Sam Hopwood says
Then why even bid it out? Just give it to the “good ole boys” and enjoy the poor quality of their performance. it’s only money, yours and mine…… Oh well…
MIKE STEVENS says
I personnel feel that the work done by Rogers Group has been exceptional i.e. Jackson Square etc…but then where’s the controversy in that…
Sam Hopwood says
It’s only been a few months since Rogers paved it. let’s look at it again in a few years and see if it’s up to their usual quality.
Matt Bailey says
I think we did. Council decided it became financially advantageous to reward the contract to Rogers. Is there a monthly breakfast meeting of the “good ole boys network” somewhere that we don’t know about? I’ll check with Shoney’s. I applaud the city’s efforts to keep local jobs. If there’s a specific problem, perhaps a call to the City Manager might help. Asphalt crumbles. Two examples in a city the size of OR seems, to me, like a poor sample size.
johnhuotari says
Philip Nipper, you had asked a while ago for an update on Manhattan Avenue, so I hope you see this story.
Thank you,
John
Philip W Nipper says
Yes. Thanks John!
Jason Allison says
And the city, in all their infinite wisdom, is detouring Manhattan traffic through Princeton Ave. In the most idiotic of decisions they think this is safe. I even emailed Mrs McWaters and she said they’re delaying construction so there’s no school traffic coming through a non divided narrow street with on street parking. Sad thing is there’s 5+ families with kids ranging from pre k to high school age. This is just an accident waiting to happen
WK Hyatt says
I want to pass out a thank you for the repaying of what was a really rough stretch of California Avenue. Good job!! It is much better now