Blog: City Blog

Safer Sidewalks: Crew Smoothing Out Uneven Edges on Sidewalk Squares Throughout Downtown

This week, dozens of uneven edges of downtown sidewalk squares, marked with pink paint, are disappearing. A crew has been using special grinding equipment mounted on a tractor to even out the bumps, lips and irregularies on older sidewalks, creating a safer walking path for pedestrians.

Perhaps you've seen the crew from American Grinding Co. at work throughout downtown. Or maybe you've noticed the crew's handiwork - smoothed-down edges, so that squares of concrete that have settled over time now meet evenly.

This image (below) shows how the grinding technique smooths out uneven edges of older sidewalks to increase pedestrian safety:

This image shows how grinding smooths out uneven edges of older sidewalks to increase pedestrian safety.

City Council in November approved the $40,000 contract with American Grinding Co. to make the repairs to sidewalks throughout the downtown core.

City engineers say the process is cost-effective and extends the life of sidewalks while helping to eliminate trip hazards. Officials are evaluating the best equipment for future grinding operations, as well as the possibility of the City purchasing a tractor-mounted grinder and doing the work in-house in coming years.

Posted by evreeland On 13 April, 2016 at 12:34 PM