S. Eton construction begins early stages of planning

BIRMINGHAM — The early stages of the South Eton construction project are underway as the city of Birmingham works on gathering feedback from the community.

The project will take place between 14 Mile Road and Yosemite Boulevard beginning in the spring of 2024.

On Jan. 17, the city of Birmingham held an open house to inform residents of the upcoming project.

Attendees were presented with design concepts to review, and they could provide their commentary on the current plans.

The project will resurface South Eton from 14 Mile Road and Yosemite Boulevard. Minor improvements to the water main and sewer system will also be made during this project.

In 2013, Birmingham developed a multimodal transportation plan that recommends protected bicycle lanes.

As they are resurfacing the road, they plan to honor this recommendation to include bicycle lanes.

During the open house, officials mainly sought out feedback about bicycle lanes on South Eton. Residents were presented with options for different locations for the lanes.

City Engineer Melissa Coatta said that, depending on which bicycle lane option is selected, the project will probably be completed in the spring or summer of 2024.

“It will improve vehicle and pedestrian and bicyclists’ mode of transportation on South Eton,” Coatta said.

Coatta said that once they get into the design of the project, they will have a better idea of how traffic will be maintained during construction.

One of the priorities of the project is improving safety for everyone on the roads.

“Eton  is used as a regional connector, but it is also used by a lot of residents to connect to local amenities in Birmingham,” City Planner Brooks Cowan said.

Many residents take Eton to get to local parks, schools, churches and restaurants in Birmingham.

Following the first open house, the Multimodal Transportation Board will be reviewing the community’s input. Eventually, the project will go to the City Commission for approval.

The city is still in the early stages of planning for this project, and there will be more opportunities for resident feedback as the project progresses.