Columbiana Mayor Allan Lowe reports that the Main Street/College Street intersection project is on schedule to be completed the first week in February.

The item was among important issues discussed at last Thursday’s weekly progress meeting.

According to Lowe, the contractor reported that some active utility lines have been unearthed for which locations were not indicated on surveys.

He also said the manufacturer of the streetlights has said shipment of the light poles will be mid-February, rather than mid-January as originally agreed. The manufacturer stated that the Christmas holiday pushed the shipment date back.

Lowe said however the mid-February shipment date will not interfere with the project completion.

Electrical engineering firm Stone and Sons will take down the traffic signals and span cables at the Main and College street intersection as soon as possible. When the intersection is opened for traffic, a four-way stop will control traffic flow until the new signal lights are installed, the mayor said.

The intersection is expected to be opened for about five weeks before installation of traffic signal lights.

NorthStar Communications Group, a BellSouth contractor, and Stone and Sons are working together to determine how best to pour a concrete foundation to support the traffic signal poles.

Currently, Bellsouth underground telephone cables and fiber optics are buried exactly where the foundations should be poured.

Before the end of last Thursday’s meeting, Lowe said, several viable options were developed which would work well in this situation.

Following the meeting, Lowe reported that the actual pouring of the foundations should occur within a week.

Once these are poured, a crew will build forms to begin pouring the sidewalks along North Main Street.

Lowe also reported that the scope of the Downtown Renovation Project has been extended to include an additional 660 feet of sidewalk along the west side of North Main Street as well as sidewalk, curb and gutter for the new courthouse parking lot on West College Street.

In attendance at the update meeting were Hilry King, Columbiana director of public works; Charles Sowell, architect with Gresham Smith & Partners; Reg Harris, engineer with Gresham Smith & Partners; Blair Perry, project engineer with Gresham Smith & Partners; Larry Kunz, project inspector with Gresham Smith & Partners;

Henry Wells, partner with R.E. Grills; and Teddy Bird, project supervisor, R.E. Grills.

Also present, according to Lowe, were representatives from NorthStar Communications Group and Stone and Sons