Most Franklin road projects on track, ahead of schedule

In the next two weeks, the orange barrels through downtown Franklin will begin to be removed as sections of roads under construction reopen.

Work is on schedule or ahead of schedule on projects to rebuild sections of Jefferson and King streets that have led to detours and some traffic headaches around downtown Franklin.

By July 3, Jefferson Street is set to reopen from the railroad tracks to the bridge over Hurricane Creek, and by July 20 will reopen the rest of the way to Branigin Boulevard, city engineer Mark Richards said.

And by July 31, King Street will reopen from Middleton Drive to the new roundabout at Eastview Drive, he said.

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Reopening that route will be a huge help to relieving detour traffic along Jefferson Street through Jefferson Meadows, which has caused concerns and delays for residents, he said.

During the weekend, some tempers got heated when a resident was unable to get out of their driveway due to traffic, and city officials want to remind people to be patient, he said.

“I think everyone is tired of the construction. It is going to be better when it’s finished. We need to get through this and people need to be civil to each other and cooperate,” Richards said.

“If we can avoid those types of problems, that’s half the battle.”

Even when those projects finish, other construction work will be ongoing in the city.

By the end of this month, crews will switch to working on the inside two lanes along King Street, between the new roundabout at Eastview Drive and Fairway Lakes Drive on the east side. That project is on schedule, and in September, crews will begin working in the northern lane, which will include added decorative features and improvements for pedestrians that city officials have been discussing for years, Richards said.

One project, building a roundabout at Eastview Drive and Upper Shelbyville Road, is behind schedule, Richards said.

Utility companies working to move lines are about three months behind schedule, putting construction of the roundabout behind schedule, he said. Their hope is that the utility work can be finished in the next two weeks, and crews can then do all they can to try to get the project back to or close to being on schedule, he said.

The road was set to reopen on July 31, and the city hopes to have as much of the road open as possible by then. Officials are confident the roundabout and the road near Needham and Webb elementary schools can reopen by the start of school on Aug. 8, Richards said.

But even when those projects finish, construction won’t quite be over yet this year.

Starting around Aug. 1, a new section of Jefferson Street will close from Branigin Boulevard to Forsythe Street and reopen by Nov. 30. That project will also cause the intersection of Jefferson and Forsythe streets to close for the last two weeks of work, Richards said.

During that time, traffic will be detoured onto King Street, which can then take Home Avenue back to Jefferson Street, he said.

After this year, crews will have two more phases left of the $12 million project to rebuild Jefferson and King streets.

Work will begin on Forsythe Street, from Jefferson to King streets in March, and on King Street from Forsythe Street to Middleton Drive in June 2019.

Next year, the city will also be building a new roundabout at Arvin Drive and Hurricane Road, a project that had originally been slated to be done this year. But city officials decided to put off the project because they were still working on getting the needed land for the project, Richards said. The city should have the land in the next few months, and can plan to begin work in the spring, he said.

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Here is a look at where construction projects in Franklin stand:

Jefferson Street

Project: Rebuilding road from railroad tracks to Branigin Boulevard

Status: Road reopening from railroad tracks to Hurricane Creek bridge by July 3, and reopening the rest of the way to Branigin Boulevard by July 20

King Street

Project: Rebuilding road from Middleton Drive to Eastview Drive and adding a roundabout at Eastview Drive

Status: Reopening by July 31

King Street

Project: Rebuilding road between the new roundabout at Eastview Drive and Fairway Lakes Drive on the east side

Status: By the end of this month, crews will begin working on the inside two lanes, and in September, will begin work in the northern lane

New roundabout

Project: Add a roundabout at Eastview Drive and Upper Shelbyville Road

Status: Project has been delayed by utility relocation, but crews will work to get the project as much on schedule as possible. Planning to open road as much as possible by July 31, and have the roundabout and road reopened near Needham and Webb elementary schools by the first day of classes on Aug. 8.

Jefferson Street

Project: Rebuilding the road from Branigin Boulevard to Forsythe Street

Status: Work begins around Aug. 1 and the road will reopen by Nov. 30, with the intersection of Jefferson and Forsythe streets closing for the last two weeks of work.

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