Watching traffic turn from Bryant Drive on to Bryant Way on Tuesday afternoon, June 20, 2023.
The western end of Queen Avenue was closed for construction Tuesday, and the effect — added traffic elsewhere — was noticeable as the bike and I were coming back into Albany on Bryant Drive.
I stopped at the corner where Bryant Drive turns into Bryant Way to make an impromptu report:
(Bryant is, by the way, part of the “Hasso Hering Linn County Scenic Bikeway.” That segment has shoulders but no bike lanes, which is why a lot of fast-moving added traffic including wide RVs and trailers is of more than passing interest, at least to people on bikes.)
Queen Avenue and underground utilities are being rebuilt under a $6.2 million city contract. K&E Excavating of Salem submitted the lower of two bids and got the job. (K&E also is the main contractor on Albany’s Waterfront Project.)
The Queen Avenue rebuild extends from the Calapooia River bridge to Pacific Boulevard. Sections of Queen will be closed as the work progresses toward the planned completion by Sept. 1. On Tuesday, the closure extended from the bridge to about Broadway Street.
Access to businesses and homes is being maintained. Otherwise, though, it’s hard or impossible to get through. On Tuesday a big pile of gravel blocked all motor vehicles from coming into town on Queen.
There are signs all over the place urging drivers to go a different way. Just before 5 on Tuesday afternoon, it seemed to me that quite a few motorists picked Bryant Drive and Way as their alternative route. (hh)
Queen Avenue near Broadway Street on Tuesday.
I lived on the property to the right of your bike for 42 years and Bryant Drive was from the end of 3rd Avenue to Riverside and Bryant Way was Cherry Lane. I know the post office or county changed names as our address was 2981 Cherry Lane but I am surprised that they changed Bryant Drive from 3rd Avenue to Cherry Lane to Bryant Way. I think the signs might indicate that but what are the addresses of the houses just past the park? As the county has always refused to maintain the Bryant Way 1300’ road as they deny ownership, it seems a little odd.
I sure hope they plan on doing a better job paving than they did at the corner of Queen and Pacific, by the car exchange railroad. Speaking of that I thought the car exchange was being moved?.