Drivers on Moab’s Main Street may as well get used to the sight of orange cones and yellow construction tape – they’re going to be prevalent for quite a while.

Currently, two city construction projects, and a Utah Department of Transportation project are in process along the city’s north end and through downtown, says Moab Public Works Director Brent Williams.

Contractors for Moab City have completed the curb and gutter realignment along West Center Street, but construction of a new off-street parking lot will not be finished until spring.

“We’ll do the asphalt for the parking lot in the spring because it’s too cold now. We can’t pour asphalt until the weather warms up,” Williams said Tuesday. “Once that’s done, we’ll have expanded parking in that area.”

The city has also begun work to replace outdated water lines throughout town. New 12-inch water mains are being installed between Mi Vida Drive and 200 North, and contractors will continue work along the city’s west side to Kane Creek Blvd. then begin laying new pipe along the east side to about 200 South, Williams said.

The project, expected to continue into March, will replace lead-jointed 4-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch lines that have not been updated since the 1950s, he said. So far, construction on the water main project is moving ahead of schedule, Williams said.

“I figured they’d need to lay about 250-feet a day to meet the construction schedule,” he said. “We’ve been averaging about 400-feet a day.”

But that doesn’t necessarily mean the $1.28 million project will be completed early. “We’ve had no change orders so far,” Williams said. “But you never know what’s going to happen. I’m hopeful at this point that we’ll be done early.”

In downtown Moab, UDOT workers have excavated sections of the curb and gutter to bury electrical connections required to eventually update Moab’s traffic light system. The new electrical lines will enable UDOT to later remove the traffic light sensors buried under the pavement and replace them with pole-mounted camera sensors.

Williams said UDOT should have coordinated more closely with Moab City. In doing the work, construction crews tore out some sections of newly laid curb near Center Street, Williams said. UDOT will replace the curb, but the lack of communications has resulted in unneeded expense, he said.

“We just poured that brand new sidewalk and they came in and tore it all out,” Williams said. “It’s frustrating.”

UDOT Region 4 Public Involvement Coordinator Myron Lee described the situation as “unfortunate.”

“It’s always better if we can coordinated with the city,” Lee said.

Lee said Wednesday that the electrical connections for the camera sensors are necessary. The cameras are easier to maintain and will eliminate the need for excavating pavement when the system requires repair. The project is being completed now in preparation for UDOT’s upcoming remodel of Main Street.

“We expect the new road we’ll be constructing to last at least 20 years. We require that all the utilities located under the road have the same lifespan,” Lee said. “The work going on now is in preparation for our project set to begin in May.”

The camera sensors detect traffic in much the same way as the existing pavement sensors, Lee said. But they are solely used for traffic maintenance.

“It’s not the kind of thing that will be used for law enforcement,” Lee said. “These are video cameras, but all they do is sense when a vehicle is present in the intersection.”

UDOT will begin the Main Street reconstruction project in May. Through May and June, crews will work to replace the pavement along the city’s north end, and will also begin work on portions of the south end of U.S. 191. Construction through the heart of downtown will be delayed until November to help lessen the impact of construction on local businesses.

©2005 Lisa J. Church