Smith County parking garage work prompts Ferguson Street closure

Published 2:05 pm Sunday, April 28, 2024

The portion of East Ferguson Street – from Center Avenue to Spring Avenue – will be closed beginning Monday for the next phase of the Smith County parking garage construction.

The closure is expected to last about three weeks. Detour signs and an electronic message board will help guide drivers to alternate routes.

“We appreciate all of the patience and understanding shown by our employees and visitors,” Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said. “We understand these parking temporary changes are difficult, but we are excited about how great the parking garage will be when it is completed.”

The construction of more than 540 parking spaces will be a game changer for county employees and people doing business downtown, officials said. It is expected to be completed in September.

Ferguson Street is being closed to drivers and pedestrians because semi trucks will unload prefabricated pieces of the parking garage from the street.

Visitors to the Annex Building, the Elections Office, the Constable Precinct 1 Office and the Animal Shelter can park in the large former juror parking lot off of Ferguson Street. Note that there will only be one entrance and exit to the lot, which is located across from the Animal Shelter off Center Avenue.

Pedestrians coming to the Annex from the parking lot, including employees and visitors, will have to take a detour route to the Annex. White arrows on the ground show pedestrians the way to go.

The route will take them from Ferguson to Fannin Street, with a cut-through the former grand jury parking lot behind the Spring Avenue Plaza.

Since the visitor parking spaces in front of the Annex on Ferguson Street will not be available during the closure, an additional five parking meters along Spring Avenue, in front of the Spring Avenue Plaza and former Martin Walker Law Firm, are covered with visitor parking bags.

These will be for visitors to the Annex Building. Two van-accessible parking spots are available on the north side of the courthouse.

County officials broke ground on the $19 million garage on Oct. 25 as part of a voter-approved bond project, including the new county courthouse.

Project executive Stephen Flournoy will oversee all courthouse-related phases with Hoar Construction during the project. At any given time, a team of 12 to 40 construction crew members are busy laying concrete, erecting precasts or managing traffic for trucks and material shipments.

In March, a crane was built onsite to facilitate the movement of more than 500 precast pieces comprising the garage. While crews were onsite handling dirt, footing and foundation work, all panel precasting was conducted off-site and a calculated schedule was devised to ensure seamless material delivery.

Franklin noted that bad weather days are considered in the construction timeline. Hoar Construction and local partner SCI Construction prepared the ground by laying down a surface that allows work to continue even after adverse weather events.

As of April, all five levels have been erected, with an estimated additional five to six weeks required to finalize the installation of the precast panels. Following this phase, attention will shift towards reinforcing the structure, optimizing drainage and addressing any remaining miscellaneous tasks to ensure completion.

Later, electricians will be tasked with running electrical conduits and preparing power requirements for the elevator and lighting systems throughout the garage. Plumbing trades will install rain leaders and drain piping to prepare for the upcoming phase of construction.

Elevators are expected to be delivered around the first week of June, initiating a process that will span approximately 10 to 12 weeks. The garage’s targeted completion is anticipated to be in the early fall, around late August.

“We’re right on budget and right on time, so everything’s looking good,” Franklin said in an interview earlier this month.

In addition to accommodating Smith County employees, attorneys and jurors, the garage serves as a convenient parking option for everyone, particularly during large events when parking demand is high. It also aims to address downtown walkability and safety concerns by providing parking closer to downtown areas and reducing reliance on distant parking lots.

Currently, parking presents a challenge, especially for those requiring handicap parking.

Once the garage is finished, the annex parking lot will be designated for visitors and handicapped parking, with additional handicap accessibility provided within the garage. Smith County aims to ensure ample parking space for downtown visitors and individuals with disabilities.

Franklin thanked residents for their patience during construction and acknowledged more patience will be needed as the courthouse projects continue and the City of Tyler road transformation begins.

“It’s getting to where the walkability thing is part of downtown,” Franklin said earlier this month. “This is a game changer.”