Jamestown officials announced in mid-May that interim surface improvements on East Second Street were tentatively scheduled to begin the week of June 9. That date came and went with some spot patching and a stretch of Second Street between Foote Avenue and Fourth Street repaved.

Work began in earnest on Tuesday.

The work is a short-term measure to enhance drivability and overall road conditions along the corridor after issues that have arisen over the past couple of years were made worse by a harsh winter. The coordinated effort between the city Public Works Department and state Transportation Department will involve milling and paving of the westbound travel lane, along with targeted sections of the eastbound lane. The improvements are intended to enhance drivability and support overall roadway conditions until the Route 394 reconstruction project begins later.

“We appreciate the public’s patience as we complete these interim surface improvements and continue preparing for the full reconstruction project,” said Mark Roetzer, acting city public works director, in the May news release. “We extend our sincere thanks to the Mayor’s Office, the City Council, Senator (George) Borrello, and Assemblyman (Andrew) Molitor for their continued advocacy and support. Additionally, we are grateful to the New York State Department of Transportation for their commitment to assisting the City in delivering these immediate improvements.”

Traffic onto East Second Street from side streets has been blocked while crews work Tuesday.

There has been some patching of some of the worst potholes on Second Street once spring hit, including the area near Buffalo Street that had become nearly impassable. While public complaints have become louder this winter, East Second Street’s deteriorating condition has been noticeable for the past few years, prompting the state to undertake a full reconstruction of the street scheduled to begin this summer.

“I know it is a big project and if you think about the work that was done on Washington and how long that took, this section between Fourth Street and Second Street is bigger so I anticipate even in a good summer for a lot of the work to take a while,” Mayor Kim Ecklund said during a February City Council meeting.

Preliminary work on a reconstruction of Route 394 is also scheduled to begin this year, though paving on the street wasn’t projected to take place until sometime in 2026. The bigger project will involve repaving nearly three miles of road in the City of Jamestown, including East 4th Street from Prendergast Avenue to East Second Street and East Second Street from East Fourth Street to Tiffany Avenue. The project will also include traffic signal upgrades, drainage and signage improvements, and pedestrian enhancements such as new sidewalks, ramps, and crosswalks.

Motorists are advised to exercise caution in work zones, obey all posted signage, and anticipate temporary disruptions during this work. Additional updates will be shared as the project timeline progresses.

While a group of city residents had earlier banded together in an attempt to force the state Transportation Department to take action to fix East Second Street, at least one driver was frustrated Tuesday once work began.

“Why is it necessary to close off every side road?” questioned Roberto De Jesus-Rubio, a resident of Jamestown.

For more information, please contact the Department of Public Works.