The Como construction will be shifting to Phase 2 on Monday, July 9, assuming the weather the first week of July allows for the work they have planned. Before it shifts, they will be putting down the concrete curb and gutter and two layers of asphalt, at which point the street will reopen. The sidewalks will NOT be done before they move the street closure signage; they will finish the sidewalks of Phase 1 during the early part of Phase 2.
On July 9, the Hendon intersection will reopen and Hendon will become the official detour for buses, etc., over to Cleveland then to Como at Raymond. Valentine will no longer be the official detour, but it’s likely it may still see substantial traffic from the west as people try to reach the business district (or possibly Eustis to Doswell would be a secondary detour route to the business district).
The Phase 2 area begins at the current closure spot west of Valentine and ends halfway across the Sunrise Bank drive-through, so that the bank has one lane or the other open during both Phase 2 and Phase 3. That means there will be construction in front of both of Park Service’s Como entrances during Phase 3, but we are told the contractor plans to maintain access to one or the other of the Como access points during construction.
Once the Phase 2 construction starts, the person you would call for immediate questions and problems is Mike Vanbeusekom, 651-775-6673. He is the inspector working with the contractor throughout the project and is on the ground more than anyone else. If surprises happen or you just want to know what will be coming up in the next week, he is the one to call.