STARKVILLE — With any public utilities project, there are always bumps in the road. And right now, Main Street is a little bumpier than normal.
Work began on the almost $2.5 million Main Street water and sewer upgrade project on May 22 in the 100 block of Main Street nearest to City Hall, as crews from DNA Underground started digging up the street to replace undersized 4-, 6-, and 10-inch water lines with 12-inch lines on behalf of Starkville Utilities.
Starkville Utilities Capital Projects Manager Mary Williams said the work is progressing on schedule and Starkville Utilities is attempting to minimize the impact of the work through communication.
“We have sent the traffic information out to the email addresses that responded to our distribution list, and we’re also posting the same information to our social media outlets,” Williams said. “…They have posted detour signs for people in the area who don’t know the work is going on so they can navigate the area.”
Williams said some crosswalks may be impacted as water mains are replaced, but Starkville Utilities is trying to help people find their way around as easily as possible.
Donnie Tongate, owner of Pita Pit, said the business owners are definitely in the loop on the work schedule, but many patrons are not.
“Other than periodically having to turn the water off for an hour or two here and there – and generally they try to do it before we open or in the afternoon or evening – that’s the only thing as far as water,” Tongate told The Dispatch on Friday. “As far as traffic, there’s no parking, there’s no access to the business. We’ve seen business cut by 75% probably.”
Tongate said this drop-off is indicative of Mississippi State University students leaving town for the summer, but also of access to the building being restricted throughout the first week of work. He has taken to social media to remind patrons his business is still open.
TJ Manna, owner and baker at Proof across the street, said her business has experienced some issues with brown water and shut-offs throughout the week, but her main issue is also fewer customers coming in.
“I need water to work,” Manna said. “… I’m not going to complain. It has to happen. We just have to make the best of it. … But for small businesses, it’s really hard. Even a couple of days of not having customers can really hurt.”
Manna said she is concerned that even as the work moves down the road and away from her business, customers will still avoid Main Street until the project is finished by year’s end.
Barbara Coats, financial representative for Modern Woodmen of America, said she had to work from home on Friday, after an accident with the water repairs meant her bathrooms had no water for the day.
“This morning, they accidentally broke something and the water shut-off was unexpected,” Coats said on Friday. “… This poor guy was out there up to his shoulders in water. But they came in and let me know they’re doing all they can. They’re recognizing it is an inconvenience downtown.”
Coats said she is making do by offering to meet her clients in other locations. But she hopes people will keep coming downtown despite the heavy equipment that may be in front of businesses.
“People tend to gripe and complain, but the message as a business owner that I want to get across is please don’t stop coming downtown,” Coats said. “All that’s doing is hurting the business owners downtown and they didn’t make this choice. … It’s just an improvement, and improvements are hard sometimes.”
Throughout this week, Starkville Utilities announced work will be move to Dr. D.L. Conner Drive from the north intersection of Main Street; Washington Street, from the south intersection of Main Street; Meigs Street, from Main in front of City Hall; and Main, from the intersection of Main/Washington/D.L. Conner toward Lafayette Street.
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