Temporary closures of parking spaces and a travel lane are possible for the duration of the work.
A “truck mounted rig will move from location to location to collect data and then move on,” Public Works Director Don Lussier said via email.
“… Wherever possible, the equipment will be parked in the parking stalls and out of the flow of traffic.”
The underground soil investigation is just one of several preparations for the three-year infrastructure project, which is intended to replace aging pipes beneath downtown.
Earlier this month, city councilors continued to chip away at lingering aesthetic decisions for the renovations, which will span Main Street from Central Square to Water Street. And other Keene officials continue the search for a “project ombudsman” to serve as a liaison between downtown businesses and construction crews.
Lussier said the “subsurface investigations” are intended to collect data on conditions beneath downtown. “For example, to properly design the new roadway, we want to know the depth and quality of existing gravel that supports the pavement,” he wrote.
“In some areas, we will collect data down to about 35 feet below the surface so we know that the soil can support structures like the traffic signal bases, or proposed Solar (Pavilion).” The solar pavilion, to power all of the lighting and events in downtown, is planned for Gilbo Avenue.
According to Lussier, the information-gathering process requires a small portion of the ground to be dug. Three openings will be between 2 and 3 square feet, Lussier said, whereas some other holes will be roughly 6 inches in diameter. The openings are then filled.
“Most folks probably won’t even know we were there,” he said.
Remaining design decisions councilors discussed earlier this month include the look of a possible separate pavilion in Railroad Square and the placement of a new fountain in Central Square.
The City Council previously made choices on lights, sidewalk materials and crosswalk designs.
The cost of the downtown project — most recently projected at $17.4 million — and the burden it will have on taxpayers has often been a topic of conversation that continued at these most recent design talks on March 6.
Councilor Randy Filiault remains adamant that a pavilion in Railroad Square is a waste of money. Councilors have not committed to including this element, but voted in January to get a price estimate for such a pavilion and to decide based on this information whether or not to move forward. At the March 6 meeting, councilors voted 11-4 to send a wood-framed structure with brick columns forward to be priced.
In February, councilors on the MSFI Committee viewed a rendering for a three-tier cast iron fountain to replace the granite one that was added to Central Square in 1969. The design has roots in the square’s history, and was inspired by one that stood there around 1900.
Councilor Catt Workman, who sits on the MSFI committee but was unable to attend the meeting where the group made these latest design recommendations, said for cost-cutting purposes she doesn’t support changes to the fountain being included in the downtown infrastructure project. The other four committee members voted unanimously at the Feb. 26 MSFI committee meeting to place a new fountain in the center of the square.
As of Monday afternoon, six people had applied for the project ombudsman position. The ombudsman is one way the city will try to mitigate the effect of the upcoming construction work on businesses.
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