Naked City

You may want to sit down for this: By week's end, the long-running construction nightmare on Barton Springs Road will have faded into a newly paved, landscaped roadway with (gasp!) all four lanes open to traffic.

The only damper on that glorious prospect is the chance of rain in the forecast, says Leon Barba, assistant director of the city Public Works Department. Rain and flooding were the curse of the $5.7 million project, which began in March 2001. Barring a downpour, city crews expected to have the final paving completed by today or Friday, Barba said.

The project's end unfortunately comes too late for businesses along Restaurant Row that suffered stiff financial losses during the construction. Meanwhile, contractor Ryan-O Excavating, ousted from the project by the city in March, has now filed suit over disagreements related to payment and a faulty wastewater pipeline; city attorneys are penning a response. The pipeline still needs repair, Barba said, so that element of the project (at Jessie Street and Barton Springs Road) will continue after the pavers are gone. Plus, landscapers will need to rethink a portion of the plantings along the new median, due to the untimely death of two mountain laurels.