Manhole delays Muskogee Avenue bridge work

May 1—Work on the extension of the bridge in front of Lowry's Discount Furniture and Charlie's Chicken restaurant on Muskogee Avenue is stalled because of a manhole in the creek.

The plans for extending the bridge to the west were made using a survey that indicated the manhole was in a different place. The manhole in actually on a high concrete tower below the bridge.

City Administrator Taylor Tannehill said Tahlequah Public Works Authority is going to "abandon" the manhole and create a crossing for the sewer line south of the bridge.

"We are working with the contractor to get better traffic control with the cones because they will not be doing work on that bridge until the [new] sewer line gets installed," Tannehill said. "There is no timeline on this because TPWA is the lead on it."

David Lowry, the owner of the furniture store, said the business has taken a "big hit" since the safety rails were removed and the bridge prepped for construction.

Jason Lowry, David's son and manager of the store, said it is difficult for 18-wheelers to make the turn in and out of the property.

"It took two shots for this truck to get in," Jason said, pointing to an 18-wheeler in the parking lot. "And when he leaves he has to make sure no one is in the parking lot of the donut shop."

In order to make the wide turn going north, drivers must pull into the donut shop parking lot across the street. To turn south drivers pull as far left on Lowry's drive as possible to avoid hitting the temporary concrete barriers or jackknifing.

"If they had left the safety rails [they could have removed all the cones] and we could use it [until it gets sorted out]," Jason said.

The entrances to their business and the timeframes of the construction schedule are the only concerns the Lowry's have with the project. Widening the road and adding a turn lane will make the road more functional, Jason said.

Progress on Muskogee Avenue is on track otherwise, Tannehill said.

Other proposed road construction includes East Fourth Street. Final paperwork has been submitted to Oklahoma Department of Transportation. This project has been in the works since 2005 and is funded by an ODOT grant, Tannehill said.

"[It runs] from over the bridge next to the dog park out to the bypass," Tannehill said. "It's a widening project that will have a turning lane and will match what we have on the west side of town on West Fourth Street."

Oklahoma Department of Transportation is going to discontinue the crossing of four-lane Bertha Parker Bypass at the intersection of Mimosa Lane. No cross traffic and no left turns from Mimosa Lane will be allowed. The plan is to have that done by July 1, Tannehill said.

"We met with ODOT to get a game plan and they recommended some temporary improvements to reduce the turning movements and cross traffic," Tannehill said.

Grant funds are paying for the installation of sidewalks and Americans With Disabilities Act infrastructure from the intersection of the bypass in front of Walmart on South Muskogee Avenue to South Ridge Road, Tannehill said. The project is in the design stage.

"Some ADA improvements downtown will also be paid for with these grant funds," Tannehill said. "Ramps at all the intersections and pedestrian push buttons and we are exploring whether or not to replace the brick sidewalks from Goingsnake Street to Chickasaw Street."

Tannehill said before the bricks are replaced the administration plans to get feedback from residents.

Asphalt will be laid on Water Avenue and College, from Downing Street to South Street on Water Avenue and from Chickasaw Street to Morgan Street on College Avenue. Intersecting streets that are in need of repair will also be addressed with this work, Tannehill said.

"The completion of the work should be in this calendar year and depends upon the availability of the milling machine," Tannehill said.