Major improvements planned along Hudson St.
A stretch of Hudson Street in Columbus' North Linden neighborhood is going to be plastered with orange barrels, cones and crews for the next two years.
The city of Columbus soon will start a $19.4 million roadway improvement project on Hudson between Cleveland Avenue and Interstate 71.
The total project cost is $24.05 million with design, right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation included.
Hudson needs to be rebuilt because the pavement and roadway bed are old and deteriorated, said Deborah Briner, spokesperson for the Columbus Department of Public Service.
The waterline under the street is 100 years old and needs to be replaced, Briner said.
The work also will give the city an opportunity to address the lack of pedestrianand bicycle-friendly amenities, she said.
Improvements include new streetlights and trees, a shared-use path on the south side of Hudson and a new sidewalk on the north side of the street, Briner said.
The project also will include upgraded traffic signals, wheelchair- and stroller-accessible curb ramps at intersections, eco-friendly infrastructure to absorb and redirect rainwater, upgraded and relocated utilities and new storm sewers, Briner said.
"This is a major construction project that will impact traffic but, when completed, will provide the Linden community with a fully rebuilt Hudson Street that provides safe multimodal connections," she said.
During construction, traffic will be maintained one way eastbound on Hudson, and westbound traffic will be rerouted to Weber Road. The city is working with the Central Ohio Transit Authority for buses to follow these routes, as well.
Architect Danny Popp, former chairperson of the North Linden Area Commission, said he agrees that the project will benefit the neighborhood.
"This has been needed for a long time," said Popp, owner of DDP and Associates Architects/planners on East Cooke Road. "This will be a welcomed project."
Phase 1, to begin this spring, will involve work from Mcguffey Road east to Cleveland Avenue. The second phase, to begin next spring, will move east from I-71 to Mcguffey Road. Completion is set for the summer of 2024.
Omar Helad, owner of Peppers Chicken & Fish at 1125 E. Hudson St., said he's not immediately concerned about the project but admits he doesn't know what to expect.
"I'll come up with a better decision when I see it," Helad said.
He said his store is for walk-in and drive-thru customers only, with no indoor seating, so he doesn't expect any major disruptions.
Helad said Hudson is in obvious need of repair, though.
"The street here is kinda bad," he said. "We've had some customers complain."
gseman@thisweeknews.com