Quincy When work on the pipes beneath Broadway started in April, lanes were closed and speeds on the city’s main thoroughfare were lowered. Tim Keppner, project manager at Rees Construction, claims that since then, construction workers have experienced varying degrees of workplace harassment and abuse.
Keppner told Muddy River News that some rude individuals would drive up and down Broadway several times during the day, shouting at our employees to report for duty. A man drove into our construction zone, into the actual lane closure, and ran over barrels while I was talking to one of our construction supervisors.
The fact that phase one of the project, which is between 12th and 24th Streets, is on schedule and at or below budget dampens a recent update, which is an unsettling truth.
Since many south side shops won’t be reachable from Broadway, phase two, which is set to begin on August 4, may create further annoyance between 24th and 30th Streets. Consumers will need to enter through side streets and alleys, which they might not typically use.
We’ve observed motorcyclists attempting to overtake other vehicles and maneuver through the work area,” Keppner added. The barrels and lane closures are in there for a reason, and I simply want people to know that.
At 18th Street, MRN witnessed a line of cars attempt to enter Broadway by driving past the barricades and road closure signs.
Some did U-turns and doubled back, while others had second thoughts and succeeded.
In some cases, it might be a sincere error, but Keppner thinks a lot of people are willfully ignoring the signage meant to protect the public and employees.
They might be ignorant of particular holes, and if someone were to drive a motorcycle or other vehicle into one of those holes at a specific speed, it would be disastrous. There might be some severe injuries. To keep the public safe, we take this action.
In a another anecdote, Keppner describes a driver opening a car door to destroy construction barrels that were positioned to divide the one-lane traffic in each direction. The landscape of this busy road is littered with broken building debris.
Since our employees work tirelessly to support their families, we want the public to show them respect,” Keppner continued. Their only want is to return home each night and spend time with their loved ones. The most important thing we worry about is safety. The public is our biggest risk on Broadway.
Because of the restricted access to establishments, Keppner is advising cars to avoid Broadway altogether when phase two starts. By early to mid-October, they hope to have the work completed.
Due to an unanticipated source that was running into the original water main at 12th Street, construction workers could return. To determine exactly what is happening, more research is required. Therefore, construction workers may need to return to this section of Broadway and perform further work even after traffic restrictions between 12th and 24th Streets are lifted.
And that means barrels and fresh lane closures. and fresh appeals for road sharing.
