Depot Avenue, Main Street construction closes roads

In two years, Depot Avenue will have roundabouts, landscaping and decorative lighting. But for now, it’s closed to traffic for construction. 

Work began Monday on the section between South Main and Southwest 11th Street, near Sorority Row and Royal Village apartments.

Traffic on Main Street will be unaffected, but Depot Avenue will be closed west of Main Street, said project manager John Veilleux. Drivers can detour through Southwest Fourth, Southwest Fifth or Southwest 16th avenues to get to Southwest Sixth Street.

The reconstruction is projected to be finished by summer 2016, Veilleux said.

“We think two years is a good duration to make it so the contractor will be busy, but he should have time to accommodate for weather and such,” he said. “We’ve got enough time in there to account for delays.”

The $6.5-million project is funded mostly through a county incentive grant, but also with money from Gainesville Regional Utilities for the utility and wastewater work, Veilleux said. The rest is from local funds, which are bonds owned by the city.

The largest part of the project will be the three roundabouts located at Southwest 11th Street, Southwest Sixth Street and South Main Street, which were chosen to better match the flow of traffic.

“It allows us to keep traffic moving, predominantly,” Veilleux said. “People won’t just be waiting at a light and not able to go anywhere.”

But the roundabouts aren’t a positive addition for everyone.

Avid biker Nathaly Ruiz, a 21-year-old UF English senior, said bikers find roundabouts confusing and scary.

“It’s more dangerous because you just have to go when you think its safe. There are no lights or signals,” she said. “It kind of seems like at any point, something could come around and hit you.”