By Gage Wilson
For Glasgow News 1
Glasgow’s West Main Street retaining wall project is now expected to be completed in December after issues with a stairway handrail delayed construction.
During Monday’s brief Infrastructure Committee meeting, Public Works Superintendent Jim McGowan said the project, originally expected to be finished in October, encountered a setback when the handrail installed along stairs leading down to street level failed to meet safety expectations.
The issue required consultation with an engineer, further delaying completion.
The $262,294 project, awarded to Outdoor Specialties and Landscaping LLC earlier this year, involved replacing a deteriorating retaining wall supporting a city-owned parking lot along West Main Street, near Glasgow’s downtown square.
Construction was initially expected to begin in July, and by August, work was progressing ahead of schedule. During September’s Infrastructure Committee meeting, McGowan said the project was nearing completion and was expected to meet its mid-October deadline.
McGowan said the retaining wall itself is finished, with the railing remaining the only outstanding work. Although no concrete completion date has been set, he expects the project to be finished sometime in December.
Committee members also received an update on the city’s seasonal leaf collection service, which began Nov. 2 and allows residents to have fallen leaves collected from along city streets.
“We’re going to be running it for around the first of the year,” said McGowan. “We don’t anticipate a lot of leaves this week until everybody starts getting them up.”
Councilman Joe Trigg asked where residents should place their leaves for collection, noting that he had seen leaves being blown into the roadway along Leslie Avenue.
“Edge of the sidewalk or the edge of the pavement,” answered Street Department Manager Wes Billingsley. “We can’t get too far off the road.”
Billingsley clarified that collection equipment can reach approximately eight to 10 feet from the roadway.
A gate will also be constructed along North Street to allow convenient access for service trucks after a property owner expressed that they would like use of the rear of their property leading to the street.
McGowan noted that the access would be limited to standard service trucks and would not see traffic from semis or other commercial shipping vehicles.
Key Facts:
– Glasgow’s West Main Street retaining wall project has been delayed to an expected December completion.
– A stairway handrail that did not meet safety expectations prompted consultation with an engineer.
– The $262,294 project replaces a deteriorating retaining wall supporting a city-owned parking lot.
– Seasonal leaf collection in Glasgow began Nov. 2 and is expected to run until around the first of the year.
– Residents should place leaves at the edge of the sidewalk or pavement, within 8 to 10 feet of the roadway.
– A new gate on North Street will provide access for standard service trucks but not commercial semis.
