In the zone: A day in the life of Quincy’s Broadway construction

QUINCY-People who live and work in the first phase of the Broadway construction project are counting down the days to its completion.

“Rees Construction told me they would be finished by August 1,” Kelly Flora of Bruening Heating and Air Conditioning told Muddy River News. “Every customer that has made it in since the work began said it was difficult.”

Mainly because of the parking. Bruening, 1857 Broadway, relies on street parking that has been in short supply with construction crews and equipment taking up space on the side streets on either side of Broadway.

Still, Flora knows the work to replace water lines that are more than a century old is vital. And she did like seeing a worker lay down a new sidewalk right in front of the shop.

“I know they have to work and be here,” she added, grateful that her customers figured out that the “closed to through traffic” signs don’t apply to them as they navigate their way to the display room. Bruening offered alternatives such as email and phone orders. “But people want to see for themselves,” she explained.

Traffic on Broadway has been down to one lane in each direction and at reduced speeds between 12th and 24th Streets since April. Cross streets 13th, 15th, and 17th have also been closed at times at the Broadway intersection. A recent closure of the 18th Street intersection with Broadway seemed to confuse some drivers.

MRN witnessed a line of cars going past the road closed signs on Monday to use 18th to get onto Broadway. Some went for it and drove onto Broadway. Others made a U-turn. To hear long-time homeowners tell it, U-turns are pretty common all day long in the neighborhood.

“It’s been interesting. A lot of the popular routes have been challenging,” said homeowner Sherry Kemner. “I try to go another way. I go a different direction. It takes me a little longer, but I get to see a different part of town.”

For many, alleyways are the only way around detours. But that’s not an option for her. “I’ve got two driveways but no alley. I don’t go to work every day, so it’s probably easier for the folks who are older. I just urge patience. It will all be over eventually.”

At last report, phase 2 was set to begin around August 4 when crews move their attention to Broadway between 24th and 30th Streets.

Drivers will have to adjust to moving eastbound in the center turn lane, and customers wanting to visit businesses on the south side of this stretch of Broadway will be restricted to alley access only.

MRN chatted with Ben Besse and Adam Smith as they helped a friend with yard work at 22nd and Spring.

They live just blocks away, but decided to walk instead of driving, even with a wheelbarrow full of supplies.

“It’s been a little rough crossing the streets with all the gravel and stuff like that,” explained Besse. “There are no (curb) ramps anywhere.”

“Everything is just bumps and tons of dirt everywhere,” added Smith.

But they say driving can be even more hazardous.

“The last time I was on Broadway, we saw two wrecks in a row happen,” recounted Smith. “And it was just one line on the only main road. It took us 30 minutes to get home for a normal 10-minute drive.”

There was some friendly advice from Kirkland Burton as he stopped at the gas station at 18th and Broadway. “You have got to have a plan and two or three alternate routes in mind. “

He used 12th Street for daycare for the baby, and 36th Street to get to the high school.

“It adds only maybe a minute or two.”

Everyone who stopped to talk with us acknowledged that construction is a necessary evil.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and there’s always construction,” reasoned Smith. “I’ve kind of gotten used to it. There’s construction year-round. If it’s not this road, then it will be the one over there.”

“I just try to avoid it,” interjected Besse. “Take the long way around.”

As laid out in the original plans, construction will run through the beginning of October. The Illinois Department of Transportation is slated to resurface Broadway, also known as Illinois 104, in late 2025.