When the next section of Madison Avenue is rebuilt next summer, the project will drastically change how drivers navigate downtown Greenwood.
Next summer, Greenwood plans to reconfigure the Madison Avenue and Main Street intersection as part of a larger project to rebuild Madison Avenue from County Line Road to Smith Valley Road.
The biggest change: no more left turns for drivers going south on Madison Avenue, and the city is also eliminating the left turn lane for traffic heading west on Main Street, Greenwood capital projects manager Kevin Steinmetz said.
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Eliminating those left turn lanes will allow the city to widen sidewalks at the intersection of Main Street and Madison Avenue, as part of a larger effort the city has been considering for years to make that area of downtown Greenwood more pedestrian friendly.
Traffic has always been a challenge at the intersection, since the roads are not perpendicular, creating odd angles for turns, Steinmetz said. Eliminating left turns will help traffic move quicker through the intersection, he said.
This work is the second phase of a $12.5 million project to rebuild Madison Avenue, from County Line Road to Smith Valley Road. Work on the first phase, a $2 million project between Pearl and Noble streets, began in April and is set to continue through September. Besides tearing out and rebuilding the road, the center turn lane is being eliminated, making room for a bicycle and pedestrian trail separated from the road by a grass buffer. The project will also add decorative lighting and crosswalks. More phases are planned in future years.
The Greenwood Redevelopment Commission is considering spending $450,000 to create plans for the next phase, from Pearl Street through the Main Street intersection, with work planned in 2019, Steinmetz said.
As part of that project, Main Street would also be rebuilt from Madison Avenue through Meridian Street. The left turn lane for westbound traffic and parking on the north side of the street would be eliminated, making room for sidewalks on both sides of the street to be widened.
That project is necessary to connect pedestrians on Madison Avenue to sidewalks and trails the city has already connected to Meridian Street, Steinmetz said.
The work on both Madison Avenue and Main Street is estimated to cost $4 million, but that total could change. Sewer and stormwater pipes underneath the roads will be inspected as part of the project, and if any need repairs, that could increase costs, Steinmetz said.
Once the projects are finished next year, drivers will need to learn a new way to get around downtown Greenwood.
With the removal of left turns, drivers going south on Madison Avenue will no longer be able to turn east on Main Street. Instead, will need to continue south on Madison Avenue and turn east on the new connector road being built south of the Greenwood Public Library between Market Plaza and Surina Way. That connector road will take drivers to Meridian Street, where they can go north to Main Street, Steinmetz said.
The city is eliminating the left turn lane for traffic going west on Main Street, but officials have not yet decided if they will ban left turns. If left turns are eliminated, drivers would need to use Meridian Street and the connector road to reach Madison Avenue, Steinmetz said.
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A reconstruction project planned for two downtown Greenwood roads will change the routes drivers must use to get through the area. Here’s what is planned:
Where: Madison Avenue, from Pearl Street to Main Street, and Main Street, from Madison Avenue to Meridian Street
What: Both road sections will be rebuilt. To allow for sidewalks to be widened, the center turn lane and left turn lane will be eliminated on Madison Avenue. The left turn lane and space for parking on the north side of the road will be eliminated from Main Street. Decorative traffic signals will be added to the intersection of Main Street and Madison Avenue.
Timeline: Work is planned for 2019
Cost: Estimated at $4 million
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