Construction for the Danville Main Street Streetscape project started on Monday.

Danville’s Streetscape project will make sidewalks safer and will encourage more pedestrian use. The project involves redoing sidewalks along Main Street and Fourth Street downtown.

Crews will also bury overhead utilities along Fourth Street between Walnut Street and Broadway, among other construction. The project will add 21,000 square feet of public pedestrian space, much of it for outdoor seating.

City Engineer Josh Morgan said the contractor, Pace Contracting, proposed the change that they will move up and down Main Street twice. They will move once to replace the sidewalks, leaving the existing curb in place, and then again to replace the curbs and install pavers.

“Long lead times on pavers and curbs are causing this change, but I think it may work better because they will be able provide parking during the first phase and the existing curbs can maintain drainage,” Morgan said.

The initial schedule has been provided by the contractor with important milestones shown below.

• 6/27-7/1:  Mobilization and Tree Removal

• 7/5-8/2:  Sidewalk Replacement on the south side of Main Street between 3rd and 4th moving from west to east

• 7/29-8/31:  Sidewalk Replacement on the south side of Main Street between 2nd and 3rd moving from west to east

• 8/26-9/16:  Sidewalk Replacement on the north side of Main Street between 2nd and 3rd moving from east to west

• 9/9-10/7:  Sidewalk Replacement on the north side of Main Street between 3rd and 4th moving from east to west

• 10/17-11/11:  Sidewalk Replacement on the east side of Fourth Street north of Main

• 11/9-12/19:  Sidewalk Replacement on the west side of Fourth Street north of Main

• 12/19-1/23:  Sidewalk Replacement on the east side of Fourth Street south of Main

The schedule is subject to change due to weather, material delivery, and other factors.

Morgan said he is waiting on details concerning the second pass through Main Street, and the utility relocations.

The city is making the downtown parking garage free for two hours to compensate for less parking spots during construction.

Vehicular traffic will be able to drive on Main Street throughout sidewalk construction. The contractor is required to maintain pedestrian access to buildings.