Phase IV of the Downtown Renewal Construction Project is underway in Lynchburg; anticipate detours

Lynchburg, Virginia – Lynchburg is making progress in rehabilitating a portion of its Downtown district.

There will be major alterations made to five blocks of Main Street, from the 1200 block to the Lynchburg Expressway, during the course of the next two years. The city is investing millions of dollars to update the streets’ appearance and replace deteriorating utility infrastructure.

“This is our fourth project in the downtown area that started back in 2016 with work on Church Street and Main Street,” said Scott Parkins, Engineering Manager of Lynchburg Water Resources.

The Hill City will start Phase IV of the Downtown Renewal Construction Project on Monday, the 29th.

“This project consists of Main Street between 12th Street, where we left off with our previous project, and runs all the way to the entrance of the Lynchburg Expressway,” said Parkins.

The replacement of outdated storm drain infrastructure, sanitary sewers, and water pipes is the main objective, according to officials.

“We have water lines that are over 100 years old, so we will be replacing all the water lines in the area,” said Parkins.

According to Parkins, some water lines are from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

“Once all of the underground work has taken place, we can move to the street features, which include new sidewalks, new crosswalks, ultimately new pavement on everything, along with new trees and benches,” said Parkins.

The project is estimated to take two years to complete, with construction costing little more than $10 million. For the next six months, the 13th Street intersection and the 1300 block close to Commerce will be the primary areas of attention. Following the holidays, workers will spend the next six to eight months back at the 1200 block.