BY MELODY TABOR
For some students, walking from Vista Place Apartments to Tech has been a necessary and dangerous struggle.
The plan to put sidewalks along O Street on State Highway 124 has been updated to include bike lanes as well as sidewalks.
Public Works Director and City Engineer Kurt Jones, said the design for the plan has not yet been finalized, but the street will be redone to include these changes. The plan is currently estimated to cost the city $2.4 million, Jones said.
“This has shifted from a sidewalk project to a complete street project, and I think that’s an ideal location for a complete street project,” Jones said.“It’s a gateway to Tech and to the city, and I’m excited about it.”
The project will take anywhere from nine to 12 months to finish and is tentatively scheduled to begin in late summer or early fall, Jones said. The sidewalks will be 6-feet wide and made of concrete, Jones said.
Jones said one of the bigger challenges will be reworking the intersection by Parker Road. The hill will receive several grade changes, and the utility work adjacent to O Street will also be a challenge, Jones said.
Some residents have expressed concern about how close the sidewalks will be to their homes, but following the latest proposal, Jones said all residents he has spoken to are satisfied.
The Arka Tech 