Five Points roundabout opens early

Cars began moving cautiously around the Five Points roundabout nearly a month ahead of schedule.

The intersection was not scheduled to open until Sept. 3, but contractor Jon F. Swift Inc. completed the work Aug. 11, and traffic is now moving around the circle. Work began July 5.

“We’ve been cautiously optimistic throughout the project that they would finish ahead of schedule,” said Mary Ellen Maurer, the city’s project supervisor. “The weather cooperated and the crews worked hard to get done early.”

Jon F. Swift has now completed two consecutive downtown projects ahead of schedule.

The 1300 block of Main Street was expected to close for the entire month of June, while the company installed an underground waterline, but the work only took 11 days.

Although the Five Points intersection is open, the project is not yet complete. Details such as road surfacing and landscaping aren’t scheduled to be completed until November.

The next downtown project, which will begin immediately, will see intersection improvements at Main Street and Palm Avenue, but there will be no road closures during business hours for that construction.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].