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Bellevue city official: Two blocks of Fairfield Avenue will close starting July 10

Posted at 5:26 PM, Jun 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-16 17:26:52-04

BELLEVUE, Ky. -- Officials will close two blocks of Fairfield Avenue in order to complete an on-going sanitation project, but some are working to minimize the impact on the corridor's numerous small businesses.

Starting July 10, Bellevue and Dayton’s main road will close from Lafayette Avenue to Washington Avenue, according to Jody Robinson, assistant city administrator for the city of Bellevue.

Robinson said Fairfield could be closed as late as Aug. 4, but she added that they don’t have all of the information just yet.

Officials are also still trying to determine how they will re-route traffic, as some of Bellevue’s older streets aren’t equipped to carry heavier vehicles.

“We’ve got very tight streets, and so Fairfield Avenue is a state route and it’s a state truck route," Robinson said. "We’re all working together because we need to think about our emergency vehicles.”

Along with emergency vehicles, bus transportation is also being considered as officials try to determine a detour. Robinson said TANK buses were testing out some of Bellevue’s streets this week.

Official detour information is forthcoming, Robinson said.

The closure also brings challenges to small business owners along the avenue.

“What's really important to us, is these small businesses … this potentially has a very large impact. We’re running as fast as we can to turn this into an opportunity," Robinson said.

Robinson said city officials are working to turn the two-block closure into a space where members of the community can come together.

“We’ll have time to just kind of come out into the street with music and yoga and food and festivities … we’re putting calls out to ‘Who wants to volunteer to teach a class?’ Whatever we can do to just bring it to life and make a place that’s fun and will attract everyone," Robinson said.

Robinson said residents can check the city’s Facebook page for updates on the closure and detour information, and WCPO will release information as soon it becomes available.