The goal of this newsletter is to keep our community informed about the progress of the Main Street High Side Project. This newsletter will include regular construction updates, answers to frequently asked questions and provide important contacts for those desiring more information.

What is the High Side Project?

The Main Street High Side Project is a City of Winchester project to make improvements on the High Side of Main Street (the side with steps) between Broadway Street and Lexington Avenue.

The goal of the project is to improve access for all users and enhance safety, mobility and the appearance of downtown Winchester. 

NEW PROJECT NOTES

City, Allen Company have pre-construction meeting

On Wednesday, March 26, City leadership met with representatives from The Allen Company for a Main Street High Side Project pre-construction discussion. During the meeting, details about the timeline and logistics of the project were discussed.

Final contracts were expected to be completed this week, with initial construction efforts, including signage and installation of safety fences, beginning the week of April 7. When safety fences are installed, crews plan to leave approximately five feet of sidewalk open to allow for ADA-accessible travel.

A pre-construction surveyor is expected to be in the area starting Monday, March 31. Demolition should begin the week of April 14. The goal for project completion is early November 2025, barring delays that may be caused by a variety of factors.

One of the first steps of construction will be to safely remove and preserve the five-globe lampposts that are iconic to Downtown Winchester. These posts will be stored at a city facility and be replaced to as close to their original locations as possible post-construction.

Access to downtown businesses will remain available throughout construction, and city leadership encourages residents and visitors to support local businesses during this time, when it is more critical than ever. Downtown business owners are encouraged to promote use of back entrances when at all possible. At no time should access to any business be fully blocked during construction.

The Allen Company plans to begin construction on the High Side of the street nearest Lexington Avenue and move toward Broadway Street. Once the High Side is complete, construction will begin on the low side.

During construction, parking will not be available on the portion of Main Street from Lexington Avenue to Broadway Street. However, a committee has been working to secure additional parking opportunities downtown and will be prepared to share a map to help with parking in the coming weeks.

Main Street should remain open to traffic throughout construction. The construction zone will be reduced to two lanes of traffic (eliminating the turning lanes) to allow more space for work to take place. There may be times when traffic is reduced to one direction or short closures for the movement of equipment, however the road should remain passable at most all times. The City of Winchester remains committed to communicating to residents and visitors any closures or shifts in traffic as soon as possible.

The City of Winchester and representatives with The Allen Company will meet bi-weekly for construction check-ins and updates. The City will provide updates through this newsletter after those meetings, and sometimes more frequently.

Have a question?

Use the button below to access a form to ask questions about the project. Someone will contact you to provide more information.

Need more information?

Do you desire more information or have concerns about the project? Contact City Manager Bruce Manley at bmanley@winchesterky.com.

Are you a downtown business or property owner who desires an in-person meeting to discuss the project? Contact Whitney Leggett, director of strategic communications and downtown development, at wleggett@winchesterky.com.