'Right Turn Only' still a sign of the times on First

We are out and about all over the place this week.

At the request of Dennis Moore of St. Petersburg, we returned to the area of Ninth Avenue N and First Street this week. If you recall, we mentioned in an earlier column that the city had converted both Eighth and Ninth avenues to two-way traffic, despite the fact that the pavement is narrow. Folks in the neighborhood wanted it changed.

But Dennis noted that a vestige of the old system remained. Traveling south on First Street N, there is still a sign at Ninth Avenue saying, "Right Turn Only." Dennis wondered if perhaps the city had forgotten to take the sign down, since Ninth now runs both east and west.

Well, no, says that venerable guru of St. Petersburg streets, Mike Connors. Those that know the area well know that First Street is not a clean cut through Ninth Avenue. There is a significant offset. First Street north of Ninth is quite a few feet west of First Street south of Ninth.

"We put that sign in originally because we didn't want people making the awkward jog through Ninth Avenue traffic to go south on First (back when Ninth was one-way)", Mike said. "We think it might be even more of a problem now, so we decided to leave the sign and turn people on to Ninth."

We hope this answers at least one burning traffic question.

While we were visiting with Mike, he told us he has solved a problem we had brought to his attention, thanks to a sharp-eyed reader. It involved the silly sign on First Avenue N on the west side of the intersection of 34th Street. The sign advised motorists in the left lane to merge left -- a maneuver that would put them on the sidewalk.

"The (state) Department of Transportation put that sign in there when they repaved 34th Street," Mike said. "It was just a mistake. After you called our attention to it a second time, I decided not to wait for the state to act. I told our guys to go down there and pull it out. It's gone."

Mike's order was a good move to avoid motorist confusion, but it certainly ruined one of our favorite jokes. So we have mixed emotions about this news.

We have a matched set of Eyeball Jigglers of the Week for you this time, both created in connection with the construction of the new Madison apartment complex downtown next to the St. Petersburg Hilton.

One is on First Street just north of Third Avenue S in the left traffic lane next to the construction. Heavy equipment of some sort has gouged out a huge chunk of the pavement. The hole will catch your left wheels every time unless you make a severe swerve to avoid it.

Think you're out of the woods when you turn left onto Second Avenue S?

Think again.

In the left traffic lane of Second Avenue S, just past Second Street, is the twin of the problem on First Street.

Surely the pavement throughout the area will be repaired when construction is finally complete. But in the meantime, take care through that neighborhood.

Let's scoot up to Pinellas Park for a strange interlude suggested by Bill Tamboer.

Driving along 70th Avenue N in the vicinity of 58th Street you will come upon signs -- in both directions -- telling you that the road is closed ahead and that there is a detour. The problem with this is that 70th Avenue isn't closed anywhere, at least not in this county. And we drove it for miles and miles -- until Jessie wearied of the hunt for construction and curled up on the floor of the back seat for a snooze.

What is closed is 60th Street south of 70th Avenue for sewer and drainage construction.

And it doesn't appear that it will reopen any time soon.

We hope this clears things up.

More revealing street construction news, this item courtesy of a question by Trudy Howe of St. Petersburg.

Sixty-second Avenue NE has lost some lanes to construction, and two perpendicular streets are closed. This is all to enable the repair of sanitary sewers and manholes.

We are loath to discuss sanitary sewers and manholes at a time of the day when you might be eating your oatmeal, but we don't have any other time to do it.

As most of you know, the city's subterranean disposal system is in woeful shape. Most of the sinkholes we write about are due to sewer line collapses. It's no one's fault, really. They're just old. Really, really old. They need to be fixed, and that means driver inconveniences.

Thus, 62nd Avenue is cut to one lane in each direction, and Foch and Grant streets are closed. But life will be better as a result. And the work should be done within two weeks.

Maybe.

It also was nice to see that a lot of First Street south of 62nd Avenue NE has been repaved. One segment runs from 62nd Avenue to 47th Avenue, and another from 40th Avenue down to 31st Avenue.

These stretches had potholes that had been filled more often than the Devil Ray's designated hitter slot. When we start filling holes in the potholes, you know it's time to repave.

And, finally, Dr. Delay's Terrible Traffic Tidbit of the Week:

The journey by ship from Duluth, Minn., to the Atlantic Ocean stretches 2,048 nautical miles (that's about 2,300 regular old statute miles) through the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The route goes through 16 lock sites, the Soo Locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, eight locks on the Welland Canal around Niagara Falls, and five Canadian and two U.S. locks between Lake Ontario and Montreal.

So if there are any snowbirds still here who have that trip to make to get home, leave plenty of time.

-- Dr. Delay can be reached by e-mail at docdelay@sptimes.com, by fax at (727) 893-8675 or by snail mail at 490 First Ave., S, St. Petersburg 33701.

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