‘There is work left to do:’ Colonial Heights continues work to extend, improve sidewalks

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. (WWBT) - A Colonial Heights man was worried about the sidewalks on and near the Boulevard in the city. Dennis Tench uses a wheelchair and is asking city leaders to ensure sidewalks are safe for all pedestrians.

“Fix some of the main thoroughfares where someone like me can get somewhere. [Make sure there is] enough room to get there. Just finish what they started,” he said.

Tench says he loves his independence, and sidewalks that are complete or extend to certain areas would make a difference.

“There is still work left to do, we recognize that,” said Todd Flippen, with the Department of Public Works.

Flippen says over the last few years through modernization and enhancement projects on the Boulevard, Colonial Heights added almost two miles of new sidewalks from the MLK Bridge in Petersburg to James Avenue, but the work is not finished. Funding is a huge part of ensuring projects can happen.

“Essentially, our vision with the city is to extend that complete sidewalk network all the way up to the northern boundary of the Boulevard to the city limit,” he explained.

The city’s fiscal year 2020 to 2024 Capital Improvement Plan includes proposed budgets for hundreds of thousands of dollars to go towards adding or improving sidewalks.

“Each funding cycle that is available, we have put in for continuous sidewalks. I would like it done yesterday. It is being able to get those funds and utilizing the funds to make the sidewalks happen,” he said.

Flippen says the plan is to continue sidewalks improvements up to Temple Avenue. The Department of Public Works is looking to submit a funding application this Spring to continue the sidewalk improvements on Boulevard.

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