Main Street Resurfacing Almost Finished

New sidewalk and street paving on Main Street in downtown Napa is wrapping up, not a minute too soon for downtown merchants.

Construction crews recently completed work on Main Street from Clinton Street to Lincoln Avenue: Gone are the pot holes that could nearly devour cars and the uplifted sidewalks tripping pedestrians.

Neal Mathiesen, junior project manager with the said the project will cost roughly $1.15 million. He said work began Oct. 1, 2010 and should wrap up in about 10 days to two weeks.

At , at the corner of Main and Caymus streets, owner Mindy King  said she had to direct customers to come in through the back door while sidewalks were being poured.

“It was difficult letting people know we were open. Thankfully we have a lot of regulars and walk-in business people who understood what was going on,” King said.

She thinks there could have been better communication between merchants and the city.

“Workers would just show up and go to work. The parking was really hard on people, King said.

  — formerly The Learning Faire — at 1343 Main St. is owned by Darren Turbeville, who agreed shoppers found it toughest to find a parking space on the street during the week.

On weekdays, he estimates he lost nearly 80 percent of his off-street parking to construction.

“Those who wanted to find me did,” Turbeville said.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, workers at BJ’s Petal Pushers at 1620 Main St. were able to breath a sight of relief as construction began to wind down.

Everyone “is busier than a bird dog right now,” said a store spokesperson, who
said what saved the retailer is that a lot of its Valentine orders are taken by phone.