lceditor posted on August 28, 2008 12:41
By David Peck
The Town of Cowley and the Wyoming Dept. of Transportation gave the public one last look at the plans for the Cowley Streets highway and street improvement project during an open house meeting at the Rocky Mountain Elementary School Library in Cowley last Thursday night.
Numerous residents poured over plans of the project and listened as WyDOT officials explained how the project will proceed.
WyDOT Public Involvement Specialist Cody Beers said the $7.7 million project includes reconstruction of both the north-south (South Third East) and the east-west (Main Street) sections of U.S. Highway 310 through Cowley including a new storm drain system, streets, curb and gutter, sidewalks, streetscaping, concrete street enhancements and new downtown building facades.
The new street/highway will use a three-lane system with one lane running in each direction and a turning lane in the middle.
Beers explained the various components of the project consisting of the basic reconstruction project including curb, gutter and sidewalk, a $300,000 project to improve building facades on the north side of Main Street and add concrete enhancements, a $316,000 roadway lighting project and a $236,000 pathway project. A separate $181,000 pathway project already under way is being funded by the WyDOT Safe Routes to School Program.
Beers said bids on the project should be let by January of 2009, with initial work commencing shortly thereafter.
New WyDOT resident engineer Ben Steed, who grew up in Cowley, said WyDOT will hold weekly meetings to keep the public informed about the progress of the projecgt, and he said two-way traffic will be maintained most of the time, with special accommodations for Cowley Pioneer Day July 23-26.
Beers then introduced the various engineers and architects on hand from WyDOT, Lochner Engineers and Plan One Architects.
Mayor Roland Simmons explained the various aspects of the project at a similar WyDOT meeting a year ago as follows:
• The new Cowley Main Street (including South Third East) will be 98 feet wide with a new 30-foot-wide streetscape on the south and west sides of the street, a 12-foot-wide sidewalk and streetscape strip on the north and east sides of the street, 10-foot parking lanes on each side of the street, and three 12-foot lanes – two traffic lanes (one each direction) and a turning lane in the middle.
• The 30 - foot street-scape on the south and west side of the street will include a 10-foot walking and bicycling path and new landscaping to include grass, trees, bushes and benches and a new sidewalk system complete with colored concrete. Some 200 or more trees will be planted, Simmons said.
• Some existing and some new landscaping will be used on the north and east sides of the street.
• A major component of the project is a new storm drain system for the community, the mayor said, noting that Cowley has had drainage problems up and down Main Street, especially on the east end of town, during rainstorms. He said there are only two drains on Main Street currently, and the project will include a new drainage system with drains on every block.
• The current highway was constructed in 1965 and needs to be redone, Simmons said, so a completely new highway/street will be the second major component of the project.
• All sidewalks will be handicapped accessible, and there will be sidewalks and curb and gutter on the north-south section of the highway for the first time, leading to the site of the planned Rocky Mountain High School complex.
• With the street project comes the removal of the median strips, Simmons said, for maintenance purposes. The streetlights will also be moved to the outside of the streets.
• The final component of the project is a new façade on the north side of Main Street from Sidon Canal building east to the Waterhole No. 1 with a pioneer western theme including awnings and pillars that will include Cowley stone. The facades will have lots of wood and a metal roof, and decorative lights will be installed on the block.
Interestingly, the facade will not be attached to the buildings, Simmons said, in order to meet funding requirements. It will be considered to be a sidewalk enhancement.