JOHNNY WHITFIELD - jwhitfield@newsobserver.com
John Street residents will soon find their neighborhood a bit more walkable after the town builds sidewalks along the street.
CLAYTON -- About 10 blocks, along 4 different streets just east of downtown, will be getting a pedestrian-friendly upgrade. The town is planning to add 4,000 feet of brand new sidewalk.
The streets that will get sidewalks are Compton, East Horne, South Smith and John. The project does not include installing sidewalk on both sides of the streets. The sidewalks will have handicap ramps at each intersection.
“Walkable communities cut down on traffic congestion, air pollution and well, they just make for healthier people,” said Stacy Beard, spokeswoman for the Town of Clayton.
The project is intended make older parts of town more pedestrian-friendly, and to encourage residents to cut out the car and use their feet to get down the street. On many of those streets, walking in the road could be dangerous and dodging cars is necessary. The added foot-path will provide a safe area for residents to take a stroll.
Federal money will support the project. The town is responsible for matching 20 percent of the government funds, or around $20,000.
Last week, the town started taking bids from construction companies to find the lowest responsible bidder. The tentative low bidder is Narron Construction, which came in at $114,853.65, according to Beard. The Town Council will make the final decision about which bidder to go with at a meeting on November 19.
Construction on the sidewalk is expected to start in January.
