Boulevard construction pains St. George firms

ST. GEORGE — Business owners along St. George Boulevard are optimistic that road construction on this main thoroughfare will eventually bring more shoppers into town. They're just hoping they'll be around to enjoy the business.

"There's no doubt it has been painful for some businesses more than others," said Lorri Kocinski-Puchlik, director of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce. "If they were struggling to begin with or had cash flow problems, it's been difficult. It's still painful, even for those with established clientele."

The reconstruction of St. George Boulevard is a nearly $9 million undertaking by the Utah Department of Transportation in cooperation with the city.

The year-long project, which began in July, involves resurfacing the east-west state highway with special asphalt material that looks like concrete and should last up to 30 years in the harsh desert heat of Utah's Dixie. Utility and water lines will be buried, eliminating the decades-old, open irrigation ditches.

The most controversial aspect of the project is a plan to install landscaped, raised medians along several sections, which would limit left-hand turns. In the early planning stages of the project more than two dozen business owners lobbied the city and UDOT against installing the medians, saying their businesses would suffer.

"We fought it and fought it," said Chris Keyes, owner of a McDonald's restaurant on the east end of the boulevard. "In the long run, we think the medians won't benefit the businesses. It's going to be pain from here on out. It'll be interesting to see what happens."

Keyes is one of 15 community block team leaders responsible for making sure each business in his block is aware of construction schedules and possible conflicts. The block teams meet weekly as a group and monthly with the community team leaders.

The idea to appoint teams that work with UDOT, the contractor (who also hired a public relations firm), and St. George officials is a fairly new concept, said Myron Lee, UDOT Region 4 spokesman.

"We tried this approach on the Redwood Road project in Salt Lake County. It helps business owners understand construction and helps contractors understand the businesses," Lee said. "It keeps people informed."

The block teams also grade the contractor on a scale of 1-to-10 in how well he kept people informed, kept access routes open, and how well conflicts were resolved. Good grades mean the contractor, Western Quality Concrete, gets a nice bonus.