Opp makes progress on street projects

Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 29, 2010

As one part of Opp’s downtown revitalization plan recently reached completion, two other phases are in the process of getting under way.

Opp Mayor H.D. Edgar said Wednesday that the city was completely finished with the revitalization of East Covington Avenue, which is phase one of the project.

Edgar said the street, which houses several of Opp’s merchants, received new post street lighting, new sidewalks, street paving and landscaping. The city also moved the utility lines underground.

In addition, Edgar said bids the project’s third phase have been awarded to North West Building Supply.

“We will be doing the same upgrades to Main Street as we did on East Covington,” Edgar said.

The project will be paid for by $309,000 in stimulus money from the state department of transportation.

Edgar said the city would soon begin taking bids for phase two of the project, which will revitalize West Covington Avenue. Edgar said the phase three of the project received funding approval before the second phase.

In addition, the city recently participated in a traffic study to see if it is feasible to install a four-way stop at the intersection of Covington Avenue and Main Street.

Edgar said the city is currently awaiting the results before making a final decision.

Funding for this project comes as part of an 80-20 split, in which the city will receive $238,648 and will match the funding 20 percent.

Edgar said both the Main Street project and the West Covington project will be going on simultaneously and expects both projects to be complete around September.

In addition, the city is looking at submitting the paperwork for the fourth phase of the project, which will revitalize downtown from Hart Avenue to Stewart Avenue.