One of the most visible portions of the multi-million dollar downtown Branson streetscape project has begun, the section focusing on Commercial Street and the intersections of Main Street/Commercial and Atlantic Street/Commercial.
The project includes improvements to the district’s water lines and drainage sewers. But the most noticeable changes will be improved sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting. This will create better common areas for people to congregate.
The timing was very carefully set to coincide with the slowest time of the year for traffic patterns downtown because the project will require closing of sections of Commercial Street at times. Downtown businesses are still accessible via sidewalks and alternate trolley stops, and most businesses will remain open during the winter months.
The entire project is expected to be completed by May 19, 2017.
Part 1: The first portion to be renovated will be the section of Commercial Street between Pacific Street and Main Street.
Part 2: The next section to be renovated is the intersection of Main and Commercial Streets and the east-west alleyway that is south of Main Street (see map below).
Part 3: Lastly, construction will move to the intersection of Atlantic and Commercial Streets, as well as portions of Atlantic Street.
Trolley Route Adjusted
During the times that the intersection of Main Street and Commercial Street closes, trolley stop #5/#13 will be skipped.
Riders who want to access that part of downtown should use:
Stop 7: The Awberry Parking Lot
This stop is immediately behind Dicks 5 & 10 and is the stop closest to Main & Commercial. Most riders wanting to access this section of downtown should use this stop.
Stop 12: The intersection of Pacific Street and Commercial Street
This stop is one block south of the intersection of Main & Commercial and on the edge of the expected road closure. Riders wanting to access the southern portion of this section of downtown should use this stop.
During the winter months of January and February, the trolleys run Thursdays-Sundays, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. From March through December, the trolleys run daily 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
