Kristian Knutsen
Tearin' up the Square
Today's image is titled "Tearin' up the Square" and was photographed by Kristian Knutsen.
Vendors, shoppers and sightseers at last Saturday's Dane County Farmers' Market might have noticed with relief the lack of construction barriers and equipment around the Capitol Square, unlike in the spring of 2006, when the first block of South Pinckney Street was being renovated, complete with tree, bench, fence, and pavement replacements.
Alas, it was a short-lived respite: The construction around the Square has started up again, with the first block of East Main Street now being prepared for a facelift. As described in a press release issued on Monday by Downtown Madison Inc.:
This summer, the State of Wisconsin will continue sidewalk reconstruction and renovating the Capitol Park grounds. This project will involve the sidewalks and parking lanes on the inner (Capitol) side of the Capitol Square. Three blocks (or "eighths") are scheduled for completion this summer. The project will start with the 10 block of East Main, then move on to the 10 block of West Main, then to the 10 block of South Carroll. They will work on the blocks in sequence. They will finish one section, and then start the next, so only one section will be under construction at a time.
The project is expected to run through October. Each section will be under construction for roughly two months, with the old trees the first things to go. After the first block of East Main is completed, work is expected to begin on West Main by July, and South Carroll by September. Should all work proceed as planned, half of the Square renovations will be complete by the end of the summer, so expect portions of the market to re-emerge through the season.
There is a larger version of the photo in the gallery at right.
This is the latest entry of Madison Snaps: photos of Madison-area events and locations. The Isthmus group photo pool is the primary source for Madison Snaps, which are published here with the permission of individual contributors. If you are interested in having your photo eligible for Madison Snaps, please respond to the posting on the Flickr group page, or send a message. There is no compensation for Madison Snaps photos, which are to the respective photographers.