Curb and gutter work is complete along U.S. 14-A, and the highway is nearly ready for paving as construction continues on the widening project at 14-A and Road 8. But paving likely won't start until sometime in August, as Capstone Construction crews now are working on a city project to install a water line along Road 8, also known as Panther Boulevard. Capstone won the bids for both projects.

“It makes it a lot easier when we can control both schedules instead of just one,” said Capstone President Tye Whitlock.

Whitlock said most of the waterline work has been completed north of U.S. 14-A to Seventh Street.

“We will be doing a little bit of cleanup, but the road (is) opened,” he said.

This week, the focus will shift south of the highway to the stretch between 14-A and Lane 9. That section will be closed to everything except local traffic while crews install the water line there, as well as under U.S. 14-A and under the railroad track on Road 8, he said.

“That's kind of what we're trying to do next week, is get everything from the north side of the highway through to Lane 9 tied together so we can close that all up and finish the asphalt on the highway project,” he said.

Meanwhile, on 14-A, “We are just going to start doing some top-soiling behind the curb and gutter and getting all that done next week,” Whitlock said. “Everything on the highway will look pretty much like it is through the end of July.”

Sept. 15 is the contract completion date for the 14-A/Road 8 project.