Streetscape construction begins in downtown Branson

Construction work began yesterday on a $9 million streetscape project in downtown Branson.

The first phase of a five-year project, Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. is serving as engineer on the streetscape improvements, with contracting work by D&E Plumbing and Heating, said Cheryl Ford, administrative assistant to Branson City Engineer David Miller.

The bulk is designed to improve pedestrian and traffic flow with use of sidewalk and intersection improvements and aesthetic features such as landscaping and park benches. In Phase I, the work area spans Commercial Street between Pacific Street and College Street, College between Commercial and Veterans Blvd. and Pacific between Commercial and Veterans, according to a news release. The project includes the installation of underground water lines and storm and sewer pipes.

The first phase is slated for completion by the end of June, and the next phase would pick up in the fall, Ford said.

The downtown streetscape efforts are separate from Branson’s $80 million streetscape initiative dubbed the Spirit of 76, Ford said. That project, which is slated to begin next fall, would provide improvements to the city’s 76 Country Boulevard, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.