COLUMBUS, Ind. — Columbus is looking for a contractor on a project that will add parking and traffic calming measures to Second Street, with construction expected to occur in the spring of 2024.
The Columbus Board of Works voted on Tuesday to release a notice to bidders on the “2nd Street Corridor Project”.
“It’s a redevelopment project to add parking and bump-outs along Second Street as a traffic calming measure,” said city engineer Andrew Beckort.
Bids will be opened at the board’s Sept. 12 meeting, the notice states. Proposals must be submitted through the electronic bidding system Ion Wave Technologies, which can be accessed at columbusin.ionwave.net.
The commission approved a contract with Aztec Engineering Group, Inc for design and engineering work, also known as the Second Street thoroughfare project, in January.
Redevelopment Director Heather Pope said at the time that the city is looking at narrowing the lanes along Second Street, creating on-street parking, installing curb bump outs, shortening pedestrian crossings, adding landscaping and generally trying to slow the speed of traffic along this corridor. According to Aztec’s contract, the new on-street parallel parking is expected to be in place from Jackson Street to Sycamore Street.
Aztec has submitted its “95% plans” to the city and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) for review, and both entities have provided feedback, Pope said at Monday’s Columbus Redevelopment Commission meeting.
She expects to present a funding request the commission in September, assuming the engineering department finds the bids to be acceptable.
“We’re anticipating construction to take place in the spring of ‘24, with landscaping planted in the fall of ‘24 and everything wrapped up nicely by the end of ‘24,” Pope said. “And we’re doing this work in coordination with The Taylor project, providing some narrowing of the road and some parking along Second Street in front of that development.”
The city would also like to finish the project prior to INDOT’s resurfacing project for the road, which is scheduled for the 2025-26 fiscal year, Pope added.
