City looks at Monroe Street, Parkway crosswalks overhaul

By Randy Bell

Uneven bricks are seen along a section of Monroe Street.

While most of Clinton’s busiest streets are generally in good condition, local motorists encounter a different experience when they travel Monroe Street and a portion of the Clinton Parkway.

City officials acknowledge that the brick section of Monroe from Leake Street to College Street is a rough ride.

“It’s in pretty bad shape,” says Mayor Will Purdie, who’s raised the possibility of paving over those bricks, as was done years ago.

“I don’t think we can allow it to stay like it is. I don’t think it’s safe for vehicle travel.”

Purdie indicates that putting asphalt on top of the bricks is just one of several possible solutions.

“These are very preliminary conversations,” he says.

Those same bricks were paved over about thirty years ago before the City reversed course and removed the asphalt in 2015.

“So, it’s not something we would be paving over for the first time, not to say that’s what we’re going to do,” the mayor says. “It’s an option on the table.”

Also of concern, the condition of the four brick crosswalks which rattle passing cars on the Parkway between College Street and Main Street.

Traffic approaches one of the brick crosswalks on the Clinton Parkway.

“Brick is just not a great surface to drive on,” the mayor says. But he’s quick to point out that no thought is being given to doing anything to the bricks in the heart of Olde Towne along Jefferson and Leake streets. As he puts it, “Those brick streets are sacrosanct.”

Ward 1 Alderwoman Karen Godfrey wants to keep the bricks on Monroe.

“My suggestion is to slow down,” Godfrey says. “It’s Olde Towne. They’re bricks. Just go slow, and you’ll be fine.”

At the same time, she admits that the street is bumpy.

“And we probably need to look into trying to get it repaired correctly.”

Godfrey says the work could be done a little at a time to avoid closing the entire brick street, “because that’s probably all we could afford to do, anyway. Just take a certain length at a time and fix it – and fix it right.”

But Godfrey wouldn’t mind getting rid of the bricks on the Parkway crosswalks. She says they don’t have the “sentimental value” of the Monroe Street bricks, and she’s fine with “whatever makes it smoother and easier.”

One possibility for the crosswalks might be replacing the bricks with stamped concrete which resembles brick pavers. The City is already using such a solution with the traffic islands at Highway 80 and Mt. Salus Drive, where bricks were constantly being knocked out of place by trucks rolling over the islands. They say the stamped concrete is faring much better.

Consulting City Engineer Bill Owen says the crosswalks on the Parkway were replaced about six years ago.

“That repair was made by removing the bricks, six inches of asphalt pavement and six inches of granular material and replacing it with twelve inches of asphalt, one inch of paver sand and the bricks. That repair was thought to be sufficient, but it has proven not to be.”

Purdie says he’s asked Owen to put together a proposal for fixing the crosswalks.

“I do think that’s something we need to do fairly imminently,” the mayor says.

Regarding possible repairs to the bricks on Monroe Street, the city engineer says he’s sure there’s a way to do it, “but I am uncertain at this point how extensive and/or costly that would be.”

Owen says further investigation would be needed to determine an “adequate fix” for both Monroe Street and the Parkway crosswalks.