Block of Main Street in Hamilton to close for utility work

Traffic will be impacted for a couple of days

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Businesses and motorists will need to put up with a block of Main Street closing for a few days as utility work begins 8 a.m. Friday.

The closure of Main Street between D and E streets is only expected to last until 8 p.m. Tuesday, but it could be extended if weather impacts the installation of several utilities for the Rossville Flats project, said Hamilton Director of Engineering Rich Engle.

“I know we’re going to impact motorists and we’re going to impact the businesses. We don’t like to do that, but in this case, we have no other choice,” he said. “The utilities are too deep in order to open up at the end of the day and plate it. It just wouldn’t work, it would be unsafe for the motorists.”

As part of the utility installation and work, crews will be digging several feet underneath Main Street, Engle said.

Contractors for the Rossville Flats project are installing a sanitary sewer later line behind the sidewalk out to the street and tap into the mainline.

“It’s a three-lane street at that particular location and they’re going across two lanes, a through lane and a center turn lane,” said Engle.

They will also install a storm sewer lateral line, which is farther away in the center of the eastbound through lane.

As those two utilities are installed, another crew will install a new water connection.

In addition to the contractor’s work, Hamilton city crews will install a gas connection from the sidewalk, Engle said.

D and E street intersections at Main Street will remain open for traffic crossing Main Street, and northbound North B Street will be open to Black Street during the utility work. Once the utility work is complete, North B Street from Park Avenue to Black Street will close back down to ensure the safety of the Spooky Nook contractors, Engle said.

Rossville Flats is a $10 million complex that will have 76 apartments and four street-level retail spaces in the 300 block of Main Street. It’s expected to open in April 2023. The Journal-News previously reported that at least two tenants are already planned for Rossville Flats: Frost Factory, which makes alcoholic and non-alcoholic real-fruit slushies; and Papi Jocho’s Street Dogs & Cantina.

As long as the weather cooperates, the work will wrap up late Tuesday. However, some rain is in the forecast over the next few days.

The timing, though, does align with the start of the Hamilton City Schools’ spring break “so we won’t have as much traffic early next week,” Engle said.

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