6/19/17 – 5:11 A.M.

The downtown Findlay revitalization project kicks off today. The Courier reports the city signed a deal with B&J Concrete & Construction last Friday to get started on the project. The $2.5 million contract includes mid-block crosswalks and curb bump outs through the downtown area. The state gave Findlay $3.3 million for the project, and Marathon chipped in another $1.1 million. Findlay also had to pay $850,000 for design and permitting.

The curb bump outs add concrete to areas near intersections where there isn’t already a parking spot. The extra sidewalk area reduces the amount of street pedestrians have to cross to get to the other side. Designers say the feature will also slow down traffic on Main Street to make it more pedestrian friendly.

The plans call for mid-block crosswalks between Hardin and Sandusky streets, Crawford and Main Cross streets, and Main Cross and Front streets. Mid-block crosswalks allow pedestrians to cross in the middle of a block rather than at the intersection of two roads. The crossings will have landscaped medians for pedestrians to stop at before crossing the second lane of traffic on Main Street.

Service Director Brian Thomas tells the newspaper the goal is to keep pedestrians moving during the construction. He adds that crews will only work on one side of the street at a time. They’ll also use faster curing concrete to cut the time they’ll have to block off sidewalks.

The city expects construction to last into the fall.

MORE: The Courier