Fourth Street redesign includes wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes

Road work began this week on a busy stretch of 4th Street Southwest.

The reconstruction project — which extends from 1st Avenue SW to 6th Avenue SW — will address the aging pavement, upgrade the sanitary sewer capacity and replace a more than century old water water main.

The street will also be redesigned to offer better access for pedestrians and bicyclists. Plans call for wider sidewalks, along with protected bike lanes, which provide greater separation between cars and cyclists. There will also be an increase in the number of on-street parking stalls.

All four lanes of traffic will remain closed during construction, so drivers will need to find another way through downtown. The work will also impact a number of RPT bus routes, commuter buses and shuttle bus services. Public transit users can visit the RPT website to see the most up-to-date routes.

Work on the $5.4 million project is scheduled to wrap up by the end of October. Funding for the street — which runs through Destination Medical Center's Discovery Square — is coming from a mix of local and state sources.

Cover photo: Med City Beat