Road construction is everywhere
Summer in Wellington has brought warmer weather, fewer people and lots of road construction projects.
It’s almost impossible to drive anywhere in the village without coming across one road or another that’s getting some work done.
The latest one, which is just starting to get off the ground, is the paving and improvements to 40th Street, which was recently renamed Gracida Street. The $2.4 million project is under the purview of Wellington Equestrian Partners, which agreed to complete the road to take some of the Winter Equestrian Festival traffic pressure off of other village streets.
But that’s just the beginning.
Work has also recently begun on Forest Hill Boulevard — one of Wellington’s Matt Morgan main arteries.
The $1.25 million culvert widening project will help the road resist flooding during a major storm, but the road will be narrowed to two lanes during construction, which is expected to last until November. It’s currently on track and on budget
Wellington is also working to fix an awkward intersection, installing a roundabout at Fairlane Farms Road and Stribling Way. The idea is to make traffic flow smoother into the equestrian preserve from U.S. 441, but the project has been delayed at least five weeks. Three temporary stop signs are at the intersection now.
Two areas in Wellington also are in the middle of getting some pavement.
Council approved the $1.6 million paving of 120th Street as part of the last budget process and that project has been going since May. It’s scheduled to be completed in early November, and doesn’t have any issues so far. Workers have com- pletely installed the drainage system.
That project was designed to alleviate dust problems on the road, as is the paving of the Saddle Trail South neighborhood. Homeowners there are footing the $3.7 million bill for that work. Workers are installing drainage systems on Equestrian Way and West Appaloosa Trail. Most of the work is slated to be finished by mid-November with final completion set for mid-December.
One of the smallest projects is the $350,000 realignment of Pierson Road, which is just beginning.
The village is attempting to knock out all these projects in the summer and early fall before thousands of riders return to the Winter Equestrian Capital of the World.