Main Street U.S.A. concrete replacement project begins tomorrow

[Victor Kelly]

Went to the ocean yesterday. Saw one guy walk straight into a light pole while on his phone. People who took their phones into the water and they got destroyed. More than one person getting knocked down because they run into people and fall over. One preoccupied idiot slammed right into me, she went sprawling, again on the phone texting and walking. I made no apologies even though I saw her coming.

The lemmings comment is true. People are so involved with their phones and ipads that they pay no attention to what is going on around them, least of all in front of them.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I don't understand the curb issue.

They're part of the story of transformation central to Main Street, USA.

 

[BalooChicago]

I wonder if someone miscalculated the slopes. In addition to maximum slope in the direction of travel, ADA has maximum slope perpendicular to the direction of travel (called cross-slope). If you simply "connect the dots" from the existing doorways to the existing gutter at the street assuming the slope meets ADA it's possible that the cross-slope does not. Not sure that's what happened here, but having dealt with the issue before on projects, I'd be surprised if "connecting the dots" without altering grades within the street magically worked.

 

[wogwog]

I have an update for all of the concrete geeks. Twenty-one days late and counting toward the completion of the first sidewalk work at Emporium corner. Looking over the low wall shows they only widened the corner ramp. The rest of the area is just new brighter concrete for the sidewalks. The rest of the curbs are in place on both sides of the corner. They replaced the small section of curb they removed when they found the problem under the street. So the delay in completion does not seem to have given a solution to the underground utilities or something below street level that changed the plan of removing more curb going up Main St.. Today I noticed scoring in the street preparing to tear out a section. The area so far looks to be most of the street concrete from the "new" ramp at Emporium then south to Town Square. Next week on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 an entertainment cast told me the 11:00 and 12:30 MiSiCi performances are canceled. I don't know if that means a street section will be repaired prohibiting the performances or some other street event is planned during the normal performance times.

 

[steve2wdw]

I wouldn't call my a "concrete geek", but the "curb geek" in me is very happy that circumstances have put off curb removal for now. I'm hoping that "whatever lies below" keeps them from ever removing the curbs.

 

[wogwog]

I wouldn't call my a "concrete geek", but the "curb geek" in me is very happy that circumstances have put off curb removal for now. I'm hoping that "whatever lies below" keeps them from ever removing the curbs.

I'm with you. I really had severe dislike of Main St looking like a giant sidewalk. But they might eventually come up with a solution with all the money they will make with MyMickey minus profits. (sarc) The street work I support as the poor concrete on Main St is years past needing work.

 

[steve2wdw]

I'm with you. I really had severe dislike of Main St looking like a giant sidewalk. But they might eventually come up with a solution with all the money they will make with MyMickey minus profits. (sarc) The street work I support as the poor concrete on Main St is years past needing work.

I agree, the sidewalks have been looking pretty sad for a long time.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Update. Cue plan B. A neighbor tells me he saw the construction today and Emporium corner is still walled up and no other area is yet under construction walls. He talked to a manager he knows at MK and was told unexpected issues have emerged and that is why the project is taking so much longer than a week as was the original plan. Now 17 days late. Evidently in the park construction in 1970ish no one thought anyone in the future would think it a good idea to remove curbs. Something under the curb area can't be easily removed. I am thinking underground utilities or storm drains or your best guess. The new plan is to enlarge the ramp on the corner to about three times the previous width to help the '20,000 strollers' in the park have a wider ramp and leave the curb on Main St.. If they later figure out how to remove or relocate what ever is causing the work stopage perhaps they will give it another try.

At least we will get some new sidewalk in a brighter color.

This might not prevent them from removing other area curbs but the one by the Eporium has presented a problem. If they have any money left after the MyMagic minus fiasco they might try again.

In 1971 they understood nobody in his right mind would remove the curbs? So they felt absolutely at liberty to use the curbed streets for infrastructure?

Oh my, bless Roy and his men! Such foresight, such understanding of what makes Main Street work!

 

[matt9112]

In 1971 they understood nobody in his right mind would remove the curbs? So they felt absolutely at liberty to use the curbed streets for infrastructure?

Oh my, bless Roy and his men! Such foresight, such understanding of what makes Main Street work!

amen somebody should copy and paste this in an email to guest relations.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

amen somebody should copy and paste this in an email to guest relations.

Cheers! If it were up to me, there would be a bronze plaque over at guest relations (over all of TDO offices), saying: 'What would Roy have done?'

 

[matt9112]

Cheers! If it were up to me, there would be a bronze plaque over at guest relations (over all of TDO offices), saying: 'What would Roy have done?'

Tell me about it right?

 

[wogwog]

Update from a Main St cast. The street from Emporium is walled off down to the trolley tracks running along Town Square. The MS Trolley will not be running until the walls come down. Said to be about a 25 foot by 25 foot square area of the street. The old concrete is gone so I would expect new concrete poured over night. About a third of the sidewalk is still walled off on the curb side. No curb removed except for the small portion to widen the ramp at the corner.

 

[meyeet]

thanks @wogwog for continuing to keep us all updated on the status

 

[wogwog]

"During the first phase of work, approximately July 23-31, the corner entrance to Emporium (facing Town Square) will not be available so that the sidewalks in that area can be replaced."

They missed the completion date by just a bit. About 30 days late. Looks like completion of the first section of just the Emporium corner will finish Aug 30 or 31. Next step is to replace the street concrete from Emporium out to the Trolley track. I saw a section scored for removal today. I can now see that they indeed did not remove any more curb on Main Street other than making the corner ramp wider. The underground utilities, or whatever they found under the curb near the corner, stymied them. Thank goodness. I hope Disney finds more difficulties and give up the idea of taking out curbs. I will be interested to see if the street replacement will stop the full route of the 3:00 parade or the night parade. I am no expert on concrete so maybe they think they can do a small area overnight that will be firm enough by 3:00 to do a parade.

No early MiSiCi are scheduled on the Disney calendar Thursday Aug 29 or Friday Aug 30 but the 3:00 parade is still on the schedule.

 

[wdwmagic]

PHOTOS - Main Street U.S.A concrete replacement update

 

[mattdenine]

I think the updates look good and I'm glad they have kept the curbs it would just be strange without them.

 

[Crazydisneyfanluke]

I see that they have moved on from the sidewalk in front of the Emporium.
http://www.wdwmagic.com/events/mick...-kingdom-halloween-decorations-2013/19311.htm

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I see that they have moved on from the sidewalk in front of the Emporium.
http://www.wdwmagic.com/events/mick...-kingdom-halloween-decorations-2013/19311.htm

Yikes, the Emporium looks silly with so much curb removed. Fake. You can really tell why MS desperately needs curbs.

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[Neph-Neph]

Yikes, the Emporium looks silly with so much curb removed. Fake. You can really tell why MS desperately needs curbs.

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I don't think it looks too terrible. Plus it will help ease congestion at the corner there since it won't be every person in a wheel chair, scooter or stroller trying to go up that one itty bitty ramp.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

I always thought they should use a gamma knife to ablate any body parts that get too close to the parade floats when guests cannot follow directions.

This made me laugh. I wish they could install magical transporters for those who insist on trying to stand in the street for pictures of every oncoming float. It would beam them to the Splash Mountain play area.