Portion of South Second Street closed for school construction

GENTRY -- City Council on June 5 approved an ordinance temporarily closing a portion of South Second Street in Gentry to make more room for the new classroom construction project at the Gentry Intermediate School.

Passed on three readings with a single vote, the ordinance temporarily closed South Second Street between South Byers Avenue and South Little Street until the school district receives a certificate of occupancy for the new classroom facility at the Intermediate School.

To further facilitate safe traffic flow during the closure, the ordinance also makes South Byers Avenue between South Second and South Third Streets a one-way street with traffic flowing to the south until the certificate of occupancy is issued for the new school facility.

The street closure will give construction crews more room to work and park vehicles, explained Jason Barrett, Gentry School District's maintenance and transportation supervisor. It will also work with the planned drop-off point and the traffic flow later in the summer when classes resume at the Intermediate School Campus.

Intermediate School students will attend classes in the wing buildings while the new classroom facility is being built. They will continue to use the facilities on the north side of the bus alleyway as well -- the gym, cafeteria, music and art rooms. Once the new classroom facility is built, the wing buildings will also be demolished.

According to Barrett, demolition work at the old classroom facility will begin shortly.