Latest news with #DorothyDowe
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Work on bridge in downtown Greenville begins Tuesday: What to know
GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) — Drivers in the Upstate should expect lane closures and reduced speeds Tuesday as construction starts on a bridge in downtown Greenville. The South Carolina Department of Transportation said the Church Street Bridge, initially built in 1959, is due for some upgrades. The bridge spans nearly half a mile, connecting many commuters in Greenville to Interstate 385. Related video: Construction planned for popular Greenville bridge (03/12/2025) Stage one of the US 29 Church Street Bridge Rehab Project begins Tuesday; crews will remove the center median and close the bridge's median and inside lanes. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in southbound and northbound directions, open to drivers from East Washington Street to East Broad Street. The speed limit on the overpass will be 25 mph. According to Greenville City Council member Dorothy Dowe, more than 39,000 cars cross the bridge each day. 'It's hard to sugar coat this,' Dowe said. 'It is going to be a major impact to people's commutes.' Transportation officials said the bridge deck is deteriorating, the storm drainable system must be updated and the structure's overall condition must be improved. 'This is the largest road construction project the city has ever seen,' Dowe continued. Other proposed improvements to the bridge include increasing the west sidewalk to 9 feet wide, adding new overhead and pedestal lighting, modifying railings for pedestrian safety, replacing the stair system to McBee Street and adding 'aesthetic features.' The project is expected to be completed between summer and fall 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Greenville potentially to see more downtown redevelopment
GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – The Greenville Municipal Court was built in Downtown Greenville in the 1940's. It now sits vacant but Greenville City leaders said it's for sale. Overgrown grass and a dilapidated building is what currently occupies the lot at 426 North Main Street. 'We were holding court in the midst of COVID-19 and a sewer line ruptured feeding this building, which made this building uninhabitable which shifted municipal court to this front law under tents,' Greenville City Council Member At-large, Dorothy Dowe, said. Greenville's former municipal court sits next to the historic American Legion building, which is also being sold; located on a quiet part of Downtown Greenville, leading to Interstate 385. Both properties have been rezoned to mixed-use development and City Council member, Dorothy Dowe, said the city hopes to see a developer turn the properties into something the public will enjoy. 'We want activated space on the ground floor you know we want it to engage people from Main Street,' Dowe said. In September 2024, the city gave initial approval to sell the lot for around $4 million. Leaders said the sale will help fund the new Public Safety Campus on Halton Road. 'The city has not received an application for permitting,' Dowe said. 'The project preview meeting is really the first step for the public to see a developers concept of what they would like to do.' One proposal features three buildings and could entail over 600 apartments and several thousand square feet of commercial space. The preliminary plans do include more than 600 parking spots. Dowe said private companies have to build adequate parking to sustain their development. One resident said he supports the idea, but believes prices will be too high. Seth Miller said he has to bike to work from outside of downtown, as he is not able to afford the living prices now. 'It would be lovely if it was low income but in general, if it's high income like it should be, it is not going to be beneficial,' Miller said. 'They are going to push a lot of people out of this area.' Dowe said she hopes the public will eventually benefit from the project once approved, but she is aware keeping its history intact and honoring those who have already cemented their spots in the area. While preliminary details for the project have been presented, the next step is for those details to be presented to the Design Review Board for approval in May. Dowe said the developer who purchases the site will be expected to do a traffic study to understand the busy corridor. The hope is that it will help alleviate traffic headaches, although that may be inevitable. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Construction planned for popular Greenville bridge
GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – Construction is set to begin on a heavily traveled bridge in Greenville next month. Built in 1959, the South Carolina Department of Transportation says the Church Street Bridge in Greenville is due for some improvements. It's a heavily traveled bridge right outside of Downtown Greenville, that spans nearly half a mile and connects many travelers in Greenville to Interstate 385. 'This is the largest road construction project the city has ever seen,' said Dorothy Dowe , a member of the Greenville City Council. 'The bridge is going to be shut down to two lanes, one in either direction. Which in essence reduces its capacity to about half.' Dowe says over 39 thousand cars cross the bridge each day. 'It's hard to sugar coat this,' Dowe said. 'It is going to be a major impact to people's commutes.' The South Carolina Department of Transportation says that the project is needed to address the deteriorating bridge deck, update the storm drainage system on the bridge, and improve the overall condition of the structure. The project will be funded through SCDOT, but the city says they will pay $1.6 million in improving the bridge's appearance. For the last year, the city has been planning detours for those traveling in the area. 'What the city is very concerned about is ensuring that people can get through in a timely enough fashion, but also without using our neighborhoods as cut throughs,' Dowe said. According to project leaders, traffic will get worse before it gets better, with delays expected to start next month. According to SCDOT, the project is expected to be finished by the Summer of 2026. There is a planned construction break next march while the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is held in Greenville. Visit the official website for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This SC city plans to bury some of its power lines. Here's why
Hurricane Helene brought many lessons, among them how vulnerable Greenville residents were when power lines throughout the city went down. Some 90% of homes lost power. Now, Greenville City Council wants to spend $517,000 to install lines underground. Some of that expenditure would be reimbursed by Duke Energy since it owns the lines. The ordinance passed unanimously on first reading. A final reading will take place Feb. 24. Duke Energy spokesman Ryan Mosier said few areas in the city of Greenville weren't impacted by Helene. The city will address one block of Stone Avenue, north of downtown and a gateway to several neighborhoods including North Main and Earle Street. Four businesses would benefit. The other is 1.5 miles on Augusta Street between Oregon Street and Mauldin Road, which is a mix of business and residences. Part of the problem the city wants to address is the power lines crossing over the roads. 'We need to look at things in a different way,' Mayor Pro Tem Dorothy Dowe said.'We were tested.' 'Improving safety, removing eyesores,' the city said on Facebook. If approved on second reading, work would begin late spring to early summer. The aftermath of Hurricane Helene hit Greenville on Sept. 27, but an intense storm three days before damaged parts of the city and a microburst hit the Greenville Zoo. Helene brought torrential rains, wind gusts, flash floods and caused seven deaths in Greenville County. Two thirds of traffic lights did not work. Roofs caved as huge trees fell. The Reedy River surged through the downtown with such force it was impossible to see the 28 foot drop of Reedy River Falls. It took weeks to clear fallen trees from roads and damaged homes.
