WATCH: Major North Main project gets funding, residents react

Residents of North Main Street voiced their concerns about a major project coming to North Main Street this fall

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – Residents of North Main Street voiced their concerns about a major project coming to North Main Street this fall.

The City of Columbia held an open house Wednesday, for community members to talk to officials about the “North Main Improvements and Streetscape.” City engineer Dana Higgins says the project should be underway by early fall. It will go out to bid for contractors in late spring.

1.7 miles from Anthony to Fuller will get a total makeover. That will include new water and sewer, sidewalks, asphalt, curbs, storm drains and landscaping. Officials say they secured the funding recently, after trying for four years. The first phase of this project was completed from 2008 to 2012. That portion covered Fuller to Fairfield and Elmwood to Anthony. This project will fill the space between.

The money is made up of $30 million from Richland Penny, $10 million from the federal government and an additional $10 to $12 million from the city for the water and sewer upgrades. The length of the project is estimated at three years. Higgins says the investment is worth the businesses the face lift will attract.

“We have seen where we’ve put money into these streetscape projects where areas have just blossomed and the economic growth is amazing,” she said.

Even so, residents do have their concerns. Officials say traffic will experience minimal impact. They’ve included preferred work times between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the contract. The most lanes that will ever be closed is one. The greatest issue of concern for attendees at the open house, was a median, planned for N. Main Street at its intersection with Sunset Boulevard. The S.C. Department of Transportation requires medians be installed on roads with double-left-turn lanes, as the plans call for in this case.