Oregon Avenue Getting a Facelift

October 2, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal Staff Writer

GREENWOOD, SC - While rampant road work has been a way of life on some of the most heavily traveled streets within the heart of Greenwood for the last month, one of its smaller, less-traveled streets is getting a facelift, too.

Workers on Tuesday began busting up the upper surface of Oregon Avenue beside the Federal Building. Greenwood assistant city manager Charlie Barrineau discussed some of the work being done there.

“After this work is completed, they will go back and put down a rock base,” Barrineau said. “They will be removing and replacing old sidewalks. They will also be doing work on underground irrigation systems for the new landscaping that is going in there, as well as new conduit.”

Barrineau said the work will take six to eight weeks, leaving that portion of the road closed to all but local traffic.

“The merchants in that area have been great about understanding all the work,” Barrineau said. “We have arranged alternative parking arrangements for those that work and park in that area.”

Those who might be attending cultural events at the Federal Building and Greenwood Community Theatre over the next couple of months are being asked to take alternative parking arrangements into mind before heading out to those events.

Once completed, the section in question will actually provide more parking, as Barrineau said 15 additional spaces are part of the overall plan. The area also will feature improved lighting, newly paved roadways and the aforementioned landscaping.

“It will be a very pedestrian-friendly area,” Barrineau said. “Oregon was so uninviting. When completed it will be easily walkable and a great addition to the Emerald Triangle.”

Barrineau said funding for the overall Emerald Triangle project has been provided by Greenwood CPW, Greenwood Metro, the City of Greenwood and the South Carolina Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant Program.

WHAT'S TO COME....

Installation of New Streetlighting (18)	Construction of New Sidewalks with a Decorative Brick Paver Strip (example of pattern below)
Planting of Street Trees Natchez Crape Myrtle White (7)	Planting of Street Trees Chinese "Lacebark" Elm (12)
Planting of Street Trees Autumn Gold Ginkgo (1) Traffic Circle	Planting of Street Trees Trident Maple (12) Shown Below
Planting of Perennials/Ground Cover Dwarf Gardenias (85)	Planting of Perennials/Ground Cover 'Happy Returns' Daylilly (25)
Planting of Perennials/Ground Cover Verbena 'Homestead Purple' (27)	Planting of Perennials/Ground Cover Mondo Grass