AMHERST — A prominent crosswalk on Main Street that uses a design pattern made from bricks, granite and concrete, but which has been deteriorating for several years, is being removed this week.
Department of Public Works crews on Monday began cutting out the elements of the crosswalk, which passes from Sweetser Park to Main Street in front of Black Sheep Deli, DPW Superintendent Guilford Mooring said.
The crosswalk includes a central concrete walk area several feet wide bordered by 4-inch by 8-inch precast concrete pavers resembling brick that fits a downtown design standard adopted in 2001 and aimed to bring consistency to the appearance of the streetscape.
But the crosswalk has not held up well to the elements and to traffic, with the bricks often popping loose and needing to be set back in place, and various potholes developing in the concrete and granite surface that have repeatedly been patched.
Mooring said when the work is complete later this week, a layer of asphalt will be put down to form the crosswalk.
In 2001, the Planning Department consulted with the Berkshire Design Group on the streetscape design, which not only was supposed to look good, but was to help people with visual impairments and in wheelchairs to more easily navigate sidewalks and crosswalks, because the pavers featured slightly raised bumps. The changes were also supported by the Disability Access Committee.
Since the challenges with upkeep were identified, including another crosswalk at the intersection of Cowles Lane and North Pleasant Street, town officials have opted to move away from the design standard and not attempt to replicate it.
This wasn’t always the case. In 2013, a new crosswalk on South Pleasant Street at Spring Street used the same brick and granite design pattern, but was made from a product known as latex modified concrete that was easier and quicker to install.
Three years later, though, a new raised sidewalk from the Amity Street parking lot to the Jones Library was much simpler in its appearance.
The removal of the Main Street crosswalk comes in advance of a project that will resurface Main Street from Town Hall to the intersection with Dickinson Street. Palmer Paving is handling that work, Mooring said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.