NEDERLAND — The Nederland Avenue road construction project has been pushed back due to a few factors, but the city tells 12News it should be all finished up next month.
Crews have been working between the two-mile stretch of Twin City Highway and Highway 69 since May.
Rain has created problems for workers, having to wait for materials to dry before they could continue.
"We've been urging drivers to stay off the road as much as possible," says Nederland city manager Christopher Duque. "Some people can't because of work and other circumstances, it is a challenge."
The section the city attacked first was 23rd Street to Twin City Highway.
Construction crews have begun the first of three levels of overlay for the street and plan to finish the resurfacing by the end of next week.
Inlets on both sides of Nederland Avenue have also been installed to better manage mother nature.
"We would flood almost all the way up to the store several times with a really hard rain," says Pet Den owner Dennis Corley. "We needed it, they look like they are doing an excellent job. I think it's really going to help all the businesses around here."
Along with the weather, utility conflicts and extra repairs between Twin City Highway and 23rd Street have played a part in delaying the completion of this project.
Store owners and residents have had to adapt to the construction for the last four months and at times, has caused customers to have trouble getting to businesses.
"I've had complaints of course because they can't get in sometimes," says Pet Den owner Dennis Corley. "Sometimes they cut off my entrance here in the front. My side entrance has been partially shut off and when people try to use the back roads, they can't."
The second stretch of the project will re-surface Nederland Avenue, between 23rd Street and Highway 69.
Good news has come from that stretch according to Duque.
"We believe there are going to be less base repairs than originally anticipated," says Duque. "That should give us some days back and hopefully we can save those days if we have some more weather issues, so those can offset."
Other work being done within the Nederland Avenue project include a new water line on 27th Street and drainage component along 12th Street.
The drainage work will close down the intersection of 12th Street and Boston Avenue for several weeks, beginning Monday.
Duque tells 12News, Nederland hasn't had a major project like this in more than 20 years and provides a new experience for some people in the city.
He adds that he is pleased that the project has only been pushed back a month, given everything that has gone on.
Construction for the roughly $5 million project had originally been scheduled to finish in October, but now the goal is late November.