Huntsville’s Diggin’ Downtown project is painfully close to the finish line.
Tarmo Uukkivi, Director of Operations and Protective Services, says all that is left to do is line painting at the intersection of Brunel Rd. and Main St. to River St. and Main at the Swing Bridge. He explains the town is working with the contractor to figure out when that can be done. Uukkivi hopes it will be finished overnight Friday.
“It should only take a few hours to finish off,” he says.
This week has seen multiple nights of overnight working taking place to finish paving the road.
“After two and a half years of hard work by the district of Muskoka, the town of Huntsville, both councils, the project is at its natural end,” Uukkivi adds.
The project, which started in March 2021, saw the Swing Bridge rehabilitated with a new driving surface, new sanitary and storm systems, upgraded water mains and traffic signals, new traffic lights, pedestrian crossing, sidewalks, landscape features and a new ramp at town hall.
“I know that the business owners along Main St. are breathing a huge sigh of relief that the work is done,” Uukkivi says, adding that the town councillors he’s spoken to this week are relieved as well.
“They, too, are expressing their relief at the revitalization which has turned out to be a wonderful project,” he goes on to say. “It looks absolutely stunning along the Main St. with the new greenery, the wider sidewalks, and the new street furniture.”
There are plans for a grand reopening ceremony, according to Uukkivi. “We’re working with the district right now to make plans for that,” he explains.
However, before that happens, the road needs to be cleaned up, notably at the Empire lot, which Uukkivi says the contractor has used as storage since the project began.