Vehicle traffic is back to normal in downtown Jamestown with the completion of North Main Street construction between Second and Third streets.

For most of the month of July, Jamestown Board of Public Utilities workers rehabilitated the west side of the street to fix a water line and the highway’s subbase, which were damaged during a water main break last fall.

In October 2015, a BPU 10-inch water main broke between Second and Third streets, which damaged the highway’s subbase. The break caused a portion of North Main Street to heave as water was seen bubbling through several cracks in the surface before crews were able to turn the water off in the area.

Jeffrey Lehman, city public works director, said work has been completed for North Main Street this year between Second and Third streets. He said the plan is for BPU workers to return next year to rehabilitate the east side of the street, which was also damage by the water main break last year. He added this work will be done in conjunction with the Chautauqua County Public Works Department, which will be continuing work to reconstruct the South Main Street Bridge.

”Not only (will there be construction on the east side of Main Street between Second and Third streets), but from the bridge on up to Third Street,” Lehman said about Main Street construction next year. ”As part of the water line break, I’m anticipating both sides of the street (between the bridge and Second Street). This will also be done in association with the Main Street Bridge project.”

In June, Lex Brumagin, Chautauqua County engineer III, said work on the South Main Street Bridge should start this year, but won’t be completed until the summer of 2017. During the summer of 2014, stones from the South Main Street Bridge fell into the Chadakoin River leading to the sidewalk being closed on the west side of the bridge. In October 2014, George Spanos, director of public facilities for Chautauqua County, told the County Legislature’s Public Facilities Committee that during a biannual inspection of the bridge, consultants discovered water had penetrated the top of the arch under the bridge, which in turn softened the grout and stone. The project is estimated to costs $2.1 million, Brumagin said. The money for the project will mostly come from the federal government, with 80 percent of the funding. The state will pay 15 percent and the county will pay 5 percent.

As part of the South Main Street Bridge project, highway under the railroad underpass will be lowered to allow for semi-trailer truck access to Blackstone-NEY Ultrasonics, located at 9 N. Main St. Brumagin said the highway will be milled six to 18 inches to lower road conditions under the overpass to allow for semi-trailer trucks to pass underneath. Once the bridge is under construction, this will be the only access into the ultrasonic cleaning technology manufacturer. He said once the bridge reconstruction is done, the highway will return to its current state.

During a City Council work session meeting July 18, there was a discussion about why both sides of North Main Street weren’t being reconstructed at the same time. With several businesses located on both sides of the street, George Spitale, At-Large councilman, questioned why both sides of the street weren’t being worked on at the same time to prevent future construction, which could negatively impact local businesses. There was also a discussion on who is responsible for repairing the highway.

”The responsibility is definitely the BPU’s water division due to the water main break. What was being questioned was why work wasn’t being done this year. What was agreed upon with the BPU, is to evaluate it and look at what needs to be done next year,” Lehman said.

Last week, The Post-Journal spoke to businesses along Main Street between Second and Third streets, with a couple owners wishing the construction hadn’t occurred during one of the busiest months of the year. As for future construction, Lehman said it is difficult to predict if the highway work could be done at a different time with both the Main Street and bridge projects scheduled for next year.

”It is too early to tell,” Lehman said.