Kresge Drive widening began at night

Mayor Mark Costilow said night work to widen Kresge Drive started immediately after the Sept. 11 City Council meeting.

Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow said night work to widen Kresge Drive started immediately after the Sept. 11 City Council meeting.

Council approved adding $19,000 to a contract amount of $134,241 to D.L. Smith Paving at 585 Old State Road in Norwalk to pay for night construction in the business district north of state Route 2.

The work at night is intended to reduce negative impact of road work on businesses in the project area, Costilow said.

The ordinance was passed as emergency legislation because the bid already was awarded and the next steps of the project began, he said.

The section of Kresge is in front of a small shopping plaza that houses an Aldi grocery store and other shops, said SafetyService Director John Jeffreys.

Scheduled to end in November, Costilow said, the project could be complete in as little as two weeks.

A concrete company is staying open at night just for the Amherst project, Costilow told Council.

Smith Paving completed a lot of work in just one night, he said.

Also in the area, Aldi stayed open during a renovation as part of a nationwide redesign of the grocery stores.

A new, larger sign and multiple signs are planned.

In other city business Sept. 11: Costilow said the city is sending courtesy letters to residents regarding needed sidewalk repairs. The work will be required next year, he said, but residents are notified now so they complete the work themselves or hire someone.

Building permits for sidewalks are free. Next year, the city will complete the work and bill the property owners, he said.

Also, the city only will choose a section of sidewalks for the first year of construction, Costilow said, because no bidding company can handle 900 properties in one construction season.