It’s been a long “couple of months” for those residents living along Main Street in Palisade, but it ended with a huge improvement; the repaving of the entire section between 8th Street and 3rd Street with new utilities, wider sidewalks and streetlights. Also included in the project was new infrastructure for irrigation water, an ongoing project of Palisade Irrigation Pipes & Laterals (PIP&L).
It wasn’t that long ago…
Funded in part by funds from the Mesa County Federal Mineral Lease District, as well as a grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and some careful planning and budgeting by town officials, the project was headed locally by Ben Dowd Excavating. They did a great job of keeping the crews working around the weather, and sent out regular newsletters to the affected residents to keep them informed on progress. Construction began in February, with a projected finish date of mid-June. Rainy spring weather pushed the finish date back again and again, but they kept at it.
While quietly open to traffic on Thursday afternoon, the official ribbon-cutting took place Friday evening prior to a barbecue and street party held for residents by the Town of Palisade.
Tables were spread out across Main Street for Friday evening’s ribbon-cutting and barbecue to celebrate the re-opening of the street.
County Commissioner John Justman did the honors with the scissors, and Palisade’s Public Works Director Frank Watt, Town Administrator Rich Sales and Fire Chief Richard Rupp worked overtime flipping burgers in a haze of blue barbecue smoke.
Luckily, the Fire Department was AT the barbecue; otherwise they certainly would have been called, judging from the clouds of blue smoke rising from the Main Street Barbecue Pit! Town staff members Rich Sales, Frank Watt and Richard Rupp took on the task of feeding the masses.
There was a bounce house for the kids, and lots of colored chalk for them to decorate the clean, black pavement with. Some of the Main Street residents were seen doing the happy dance, excited about driving straight into their driveways, after months of obstacles, mud and more mud. Ron Koss provided the music, and the kids with skateboards had the smoothest rides of their lives.
