Oak Street downtown, is it fully open again?

Haven't been downtown in a few weeks and I can't remember if Oak Street between Locust and Front ever got reopened. Conway Corp had it shut weekdays and weekends for the utility work, started the end of September I think. Anybody driven it lately?

I used to meet my sewing group for lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays and half of us just quit going because nobody wanted to figure out the detours. Parking was bad enough before. I kept wondering how the little shops and the lunch places did with all that, because the Tue/Thu crowd is a big part of their week. Did you see business drop off or did people just adjust?

Also what else is torn up down there right now? I'd rather know before I drive in from Beaverfork and end up circling the block. My late husband's family has been around downtown since way back and I swear that area has been dug up every few years as long as I can remember, the old lines under there must be something.

Haven't driven Oak lately myself, Barb. Here's Conway Corp's original notice, but it won't say if it's reopened. Anybody been through there this week? Would help to know what else is blocked downtown too.

Thanks Austin, I did find that notice before I posted, it just stops at the start date, which doesn't help much. I'll probably run down that way Thursday anyway since I owe my sewing group a lunch, and I'll report back on Oak and whatever else is blocked.

If anybody works down there or eats lunch there regular, you'd know better than a notice would.

Funny thing, my husband's uncle used to say they'd just get a street patched and somebody would dig it up again.. some of that pipe under downtown is older than all of us.

Your husband's uncle wasn't wrong, Barb. They've torn up around Oak and Front more times than I can count over the years... and half the time what they find down there is older than the street on top of it.

I can't say for sure whether Oak is open. I came in last week and went around by Front just to avoid the question. I'd call one of the lunch places before Thursday. They'll know right away if Oak is passable, and they'll tell you where folks have been parking. Let us know what you find. Your sewing group is lucky you're buying.

Good idea, Rick. Barb, if you make the drive Thursday, post what you find on Oak and whatever else is blocked. That'll save the next person some circling.

Austin, good call, and Barb, I'll add a practical note from years of watching these projects. When a utility closure like this is listed as "weekdays and weekends," the street often reopens in stages. You can have the Locust end open while the Front Street end is still coned off, which may be why nobody here can say flatly whether Oak is open or closed.

When you call a lunch place before Thursday, I'd ask which side street they send customers down, then park a block or two over and walk. It's usually faster than circling. Even after it's "open," crews tend to leave steel plates or rough temporary patches for a good while after the lines are in, so expect slow going through there.

Conway Corp's customer service line might also be worth a try. They usually know the status of their own crews' work sooner than anyone else does. Looking forward to your report on Thursday, Barb 🙂

Staged reopening would explain why nobody can agree on whether it's open, Greg. And those steel plates are rough on a low car, so take it slow coming through, Barb.

Greg's right about the staging. The last time they dug around Front the plates sat out there for what felt like months, and the lunch places just told folks to come in the other way and not bother with Oak.

Barb, coming in from Beaverfork I'd park a block or two over and walk, like Greg said. Fewer headaches. Tell the sewing group they owe you a dessert too.