The city promised to avoid major traffic tie ups as much as possible, but the refurbishing of the Wiley building is so big that it may not be possible to keep traffic restrictions down.
The city, Key Construction and members of Manske and Associates met Wednesday afternoon to discuss traffic issues surrounding the renovation project. According to Hutchinson Downtown Development Director Jim Seitnater, the plan is to close off the west bound lanes of East 1st, from Main east to Walnut, and leave it closed for the duration of the project. The closure could happen as soon as next week, however it will not affect the center lane angle parking. The sidewalk along Main which is currently closed will remain closed through out the entire project. Key construction said it’s too dangerous and too difficult to bring heavy machinery in and out of the area with the street open.
So far, only a small portion of 1st, has been closed off because of heavy equipment, but City manager John Deardoff told the council Tuesday morning that the changes are needed to the area simply in the interest of safety.