Construction on the NE Northgate Way & 5th Avenue NE Intersection and Pedestrian Improvements Project, largely complete in November 2012, is continuing this month. Originally the work was set to wrap up in its entirety before the busy holiday season, but the schedule changed with delayed delivery of some key project parts – namely the light poles and then a signal controller cabinet that just arrived Tuesday. Without the signal controller cabinet the new lights couldn’t be activated; which meant the old ones had to remain in use (i.e. not demolished); which meant the final four corners of sidewalk could not be poured – hence this double-light-pole-look the area had earlier this week…
New street light pole with old street light pole in the background, at the southeast corner of the intersection earlier this week
As soon as it arrived on site crews worked fast to install that all-important signal controller cabinet, then completed work on the new signal Wednesday. Thursday they began demolishing the old light poles and foundations – work that will continue into next week.
All project work is now expected to be complete by the end of February, as long as weather cooperates for pouring concrete around the new light poles and on all four corners, to finish the sidewalks. Concrete work requires dry weather and temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.