Next phase of downtown light replacement project underway

posted on 9/9/2025

Workers will begin replacing 22 downtown streetlights on Monday, Sept. 8, as part of the second phase of the downtown light replacement project. The work will require parking restrictions and lane shifts.

The lights will be replaced along both sides of Central Avenue from the rail crossing to Second Street on the eastern side and Chapel Street on the western side. It also includes replacing two lights in the traffic island where southbound Central Avenue traffic turns left onto Chapel Street. The goal is to reuse the buried electrical conduit to minimize the need for excavation.

Work will begin at the rail crossing on Sept. 8 and work south towards Second Street. Crews will work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The goal is to complete the project before Apple Harvest Day on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Parking restrictions will be in place around the work area. Between Third Street/Broadway and the rail crossing, all spaces will be blocked off. For the remainder of the project, the city anticipates only blocking the two parking spaces near the light they are replacing. 

The first phase, completed earlier this year, replaced lights at the Central/Third/Broadway intersection and within the adjacent Franklin Square median. The upgrades are part of an overall project to improve downtown lighting, including around crosswalks, for improved visibility and pedestrian safety. Many of the lights being replaced were installed in the late 1970s.

For more information, contact Community Services at 603-516-6450.