Starting next Monday, drivers in downtown will need to prepare to navigate through construction as the city undertakes a major improvement project. The Broadway-Downtown ADA/Traffic Signal Improvement Project, with a budget of $1.85 million, will bring its first phase to Broadway, causing lane closures and traffic adjustments.
According to the information released by the City of Edmond, northbound lanes of Broadway will shut down from just south of Main Street to just short of Campbell Street. In a shift to accommodate both northbound and southbound traffic, the southbound side will be temporarily revised to support two-way flow. The city expects that the closures will remain until the work is set to complete in the second week of February, weather permitting.
This project aims to make intersections and sidewalks more accessible and safer, with enhancements including wider curb ramps, improved crosswalk markings, updated traffic signal cabinets, and new audible pedestrian signals. Scheduled for updates are key intersections along First, Main, Hurd, Campbell, Edwards, and Ayers streets.
Intending to minimize disruptions, the city plans to execute the project one intersection at a time, ensuring that cross street traffic isn't fully blocked. Any work on traffic signals will exclusively take place on Sundays, strategically organized to not collide with local events like Heard on Hurd or the Arts Festival. The project, greenlit by the City Council last September, is funded by money awarded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Residents and visitors should anticipate some inconveniences due to these closures, but the long-term benefits to pedestrian and traffic flow are poised to make this short-term hassle worthwhile. Keep tabs on this and other city projects by following updates released by the City of Edmond's communications department.
