GLENMONT — Construction on the anticipated $4.9 million traffic circle at Bethlehem Center is tentatively scheduled to begin in June.
Town Supervisor David VanLuven sent notice today, Friday, April 30 in an email to area business owners communicating the potential start date for a project that will replace the present four-way intersection with a traffic circle.
The town board awarded Rifenberg Construction, Inc. the construction contract in February. The town supervisor said Rifenberg is planning final logistics with both the state Department of Transportation and utility companies.
Construction was first expected to start last spring, but the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic moved the date to this spring. The town board has not finalized a schedule as of date, but VanLuven shared initial construction looks “right now” to begin in June.
“Not a lot is happening on the ground right now, but preparations are underway to ensure that construction proceeds quickly and smoothly,” VanLuven stated.
Initial work will involve relocating traffic signals as construction crews clear a way to move communication wirework. The town supervisor said utility work won’t cause a lot of traffic problems as it continues into August.
The visible change of the roadways won’t begin to take shape until August. That is when road excavation, curbing and the widening of the intersection is expected to happen.
In his email to business owners, VanLuven stressed that despite the construction, maintaining access to local store shops and keeping lanes open for commuting remain priorities.
The town has contracted Baker Public Relations to coordinate communication with residents and business owners. Creighton Manning Engineering, serving as the town’s construction inspector, will establish an office at Glenmont Centre Square to answer questions concerning the project.
