NEWBERRY – Main Street in Newberry is looking its best due to a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and the City of Newberry. While the road was recently re-paved from Nance Street to Wilson Road by SCDOT, it has also seen several new intersection enhancements.
These enhancements, located at the intersections of Main and Caldwell, College, Lindsay and Calhoun Streets resemble the design of the original brick pavers located in the downtown historic district. However, they’re actually not brick at all, but TrafficPatternsXD.
Designed by Ennis-Flint, these intersections are created from durable preformed thermoplastic material that incorporates a unique aggregate reinforced formula with wear resistance. The material is optimized for skid resistance because as the marking wears down, new anti-skid elements are exposed.
The brick look is achieved by stamping the pattern into the surface of the material.
Newberry City Council passed an ordinance in June to provide for amendments to the city’s revenue and expenditure appropriations in the budget to account for the completion of renovating the intersections. City staff and council felt the intersections had received a lot of wear and were in need of being updated.
Rather than traditional brick pavers at these intersections, the city’s Public Works Director Kip Gunter presented this thermoplastic application approach to council as it is hoped for less maintenance with an overall life expectancy that matches the life of the road itself.
To complement the existing brickwork already in place downtown, city staff suggested going with a similar color and brick design found at the intersection of Main and McKibben Streets, containing original brick pavers.
“The timing worked out really well to redo the intersections at the same time SCDOT was re-paving the road,” Mayor Foster Senn said. “City staff said doing the two projects together would be more efficient and save money. It made sense to make the budget adjustment.”
While the budget amendment for the project was approved totaling $152,560, the city received a $75,000 appropriation from the state through Senator Ronnie Cromer, Senn said to help with the costs.
Out of that appropriation, $50,000 was used to fund the intersection enhancements, with the remaining $25,000 to go towards a future project of a digital welcome sign, whose location has not yet been determined.
The remaining funding for the intersections was completed through the city’s general fund budget in the amount of $102,560.
“We appreciate Senator Cromer getting a state grant to help fund the project,” Senn said. “Kip Gunter and his staff worked with the contractor to ensure the intersections look great again and we appreciate SCDOT for the beautiful job they did re-paving Main Street. I’ve heard many people praising their work.”