City announces change in streetscape plan

Dec. 29—ASHLAND — Winchester Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic from 14th to 17th Streets from Jan. 8-22, tentatively, to accommodate the construction of the first two mini-roundabouts in downtown Ashland.

The City of Ashland announced in a news release that the timeline for the Winchester Avenue Streetscape and Improvements project has been expedited.

Construction of mini-roundabouts will begin in January, according to the city. The initial scheduled start date was March/April.

"This decision is an effort to minimize disruptions to the downtown area and reduce overall impact on businesses," the city wrote in its release. "It's anticipated this will shorten the overall construction time by at least a month."

Closures to vehicular traffic on Winchester Avenue from 14th to 17th Streets and side streets to alleys will be necessary during the roundabout construction, stated the release. Signage will direct drivers to alternate routes.

Sidewalk demolition from 15th to 16th Streets will start on Jan. 2.

Roundabout construction will begin on Jan. 8.

From the 8th through Jan. 22, 15th and 16th Streets between the two alleys on each side of Winchester will be closed for construction.

Roads are set to reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

The city stated there will be several free parking options during this time, including the following: city lot on 14th Street and Winchester next to Paramount; city lot on 14th Street and Winchester next to the Delta Hotel; city garage on 17th Street and Carter Avenue (which will continue to be open and free during January); and side streets (past the alley), Carter Avenue and Greenup Avenue remain options.

During roundabout construction, street closures and delivery zones will be temporarily unavailable and delivery access will shift to an alternate street location as much as an additional block away, according to the release.

The City of Ashland stated it is "hopeful our community will rally around our small business owners by still coming downtown during this construction and enjoy our wonderful local shops, restaurants and specialty stores."

The timeline is subject to change, as weather may impact plans, but the city said contractors are committed to "exhausting all efforts on getting this portion done as quickly as possible."

Visit the City of Ashland and Visit AKY Facebook pages and their websites (ashlandky.gov and visitaky.com/winchester) for updates.