Photo by Evan Krape

A long-anticipated project to resurface Newark’s crumbling Main Street and add pedestrian-friendly improvements is expected to cause traffic complications beginning this winter and extending through summer 2020.

The $10 million project overseen by the city of Newark and the Delaware Department of Transportation will replace the perennially potholed asphalt all along East Main Street’s length and install brick sections to the sidewalk that will “bump-out” into existing parking spaces and add a more picturesque and pedestrian-oriented feel to Newark’s main thoroughfare.

Starting this October or November, work is expected to be active 24/7 through summer 2020, moving block by block from east to west, and will constrict traffic to one lane in sections under active reconstruction. Officials urged drivers to consider re-routing to Cleveland Avenue when possible. Some minor pedestrian detours are also likely, and some on-street parking will be unavailable in sections where work is underway.

Main Street is in such a condition that patching or a less-complex repaving is no longer possible, said Joe Hofstee, project manager with the firm of AECOM.

The overhaul also aims to make pedestrian crosswalks more visible to oncoming traffic and will add handicapped-accessible parking spaces. Sidewalks along Main Street will also get upgraded curb ramps for enhanced ease of use by those with disabilities, and a new stop-for-pedestrians crosswalk will be installed at Klondike Kate’s.