Correction appended.
Athens City Council will discuss plans for an underground pedestrian tunnel which will be below Richland Avenue, and the closure of Court Street for AUBA trick-or-treat at Monday night’s meeting.
A portion of Court Street will be closed October 29 from 6-7:30 p.m. for the Athens Uptown Business Association trick-or-treat. The Athena Cinema Downtown will have a Halloween themed movie night, showing The Addams Family at 7:30 p.m. Admission will be free.
Council members will give an update on the Wellhead Protection Plan. Athens City water is sourced from 15 groundwater stills. To protect the drinking water, the wells are monitored by strict regulations. This insures the prevention of any spills or other contaminants that could pollute the city’s aquifer.
The project for Richland Avenue Pedestrian Passageway will be also reviewed. When classes are let out, vehicular traffic builds up on Richland Avenue due to a consistent flow of pedestrian traffic at the crosswalk. Queues have been backed up as far as the Richland Avenue and South Drive intersection.
Construction for the project would include the installation of a pedestrian tunnel. The passageway structure will be located in the same general location as the existing crosswalk and would allow traffic to pass over the pedestrian crossing.
Configuration will also allow left-hand turns onto Bobcat Lane and bikers will be able to travel with vehicular traffic. The tunnel will improve the overall flow of traffic and reduce danger for pedestrians.
The estimated cost for construction of the tunnel is $2.1 million. The city has received $1.8 million in funding from the Transportation Alternatives Fund. Construction will be May-August 2019 and will utilize a detour route for traffic.
Members will also establish a public right-of-way for East Park Drive and an easement for Hillcrest Drive.
Correction: A previous version of this report and headline used an incorrect acronym for AUBA. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
