East State Street Construction Begins

By Benjamin Cox on July 8, 2020 at 6:09am

Residents on the east side of the Jacksonville Square are beginning to see construction on the next to last phase of the downtown renovation. East State Street from the square to North East Street were closed today as utility crews began work on utility lines under the street.

Mayor Andy Ezard says that good weather should get the street reopened to traffic soon: “K.E. Vas is the lead contractor on the project. Rouland’s is the subcontractor. Right now, they are currently doing some water main installs. It’s the stuff you don’t really see, and Rouland’s is doing that. It’s a $2.2 million project overall. It’s being done with ITEP funding, so the city is on the hook for 20% of that $2.2 million. We hope that the weather is good, and we hope that project is over with by the end of the year.”

Ezard says that a few businesses in the vicinity of East State and the square have begun upgrading their utility services now while the street is opened up for utility work. Ezard says that businesses wishing to do the upgrades should do it now before letting of the street pavement begins in earnest within the next few weeks.

Ezard says once East State Street is completed, West State Street’s renovation will be the final phase in the downtown revitalization and renewal that began more than two decades ago.