THOMASVILLE — City of Thomasville officials are anticipating bidding out work for the Remington Avenue streetscape this summer. 

City planner Kenny Thompson told city council members at Wednesday’s workshop that bids could go out this month or in July, and construction could start in early 2023.

“It is a bit of a moving target,” he said.

The streetscape work will bring improvements to Remington Avenue from Pinetree Boulevard to Reid Street, and from that juncture with Kern Street to Smith Avenue.

“It connects a number of different elements of our community,” Thompson said. “It is a very important corridor for a number of reasons and for a number of people.”

The Remington streetscape process started back in 2019 with open houses, stakeholder meetings and discovery walks. The push for the streetscape was a result of the city’s comprehensive plan and the initiative to “build really great streets as not just a conduit for cars,” Thompson said.

“We had a number of people different participate to really help define what the street could and would look like,” Thompson said. 

The Remington Avenue streetscape also will be a connector for the community trail and Thompson said other goals include maintaining the neighborhood character, improving safety on the street and slowing down the traffic.

Connectivity for pedestrians was seen as a priority. It is a street without a sidewalk, Thompson said, and many students use it to get to Thomasville High School.

Remington will remain a two-lane road and there will be accommodations for emergency vehicles, Thompson added. 

Plans call for two roundabouts, one each at a confluence of people and vehicular activity, Thompson noted. One will be built where Kern, Reid and Remington come together, where the street can be as wide as 80 feet.  

“It creates a much safer crossing and it also slows vehicles down,” Thompson said. “The speed limit is 35 mph and it’s easier to drive faster than that.”

The idea, he said, is not to create gridlock but to reduce speeding. 

Another roundabout is planned for Remington and Ben Grace Drive. 

After traffic analysis, plans call for the installation of a traffic signal at Remington and Covington avenues.

“It’s a drag race there,” Council member Todd Mobley said. 

Thompson said 60% of the accidents on Remington occur between Remington Park and Pinetree Boulevard, so a driveway may be relocated and the city will try to reduce the number of curb cuts. 

“It is a fairly long and laborious process, with stormwater and the number of utilities,” Thompson said. “We’re making sure we’re getting everything right, not just on the street but underground.” 

The cost of the project, which covers 7,500 feet, could reach as much as $11 million to $12 million, City Manager Alan Carson said. There also is a six- to seven-month delay for supplies.

But the streetscape, once finished, is expected be a tremendous improvement.

“It’s going to have a big impact,” Carson said.