Fort Sill sidewalks poured

By Mr. Jeff Crawley (IMCOM)June 14, 2012

SIll sidewalks
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT SILL, Okla.-- Three sidewalk construction projects are under way, and when completed will make it easier for pedestrians to transit Fort Sill, said a Directorate of Public Works engineer. The sidewalks are 10-feet wide, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, and portions of the walk which are already completed may now be used by pedestrians. He & I Construction, Inc., of Lawton, began the work in January.

Fort Sill Boulevard

The sidewalk on the west side of Fort Sill Boulevard begins at Mow-Way Road near the Buffalo Soldiers Acres Neighborhood Three-Mile Track, said Gary Haynie, DPW Construction Branch chief. Once completed in early August, the sidewalk will extend to Sheridan Road. This sidewalk will be easily accessible to Soldiers at the new 428th Field Artillery Brigade advanced individual training barracks and the new Warrior Transition Unit.

Sheridan Road

The sidewalk on the west side of Sheridan Road runs parallel to the roadway. The walkway begins at Mow-Way Road and will extend to Miner Road. It is scheduled to be finished by mid July, Haynie said.

Pedestrians coming from the Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing, which is on the east side of Sheridan, can use the pedestrian bridge to access the west walkway, Haynie said.

Craig Road

Another sidewalk project has begun in the 2700 and 2800 areas near Single Soldiers Quarters around Miner and Ringgold roads. It will cross Austin Road and end at Macomb Road, by the Main Exchange. It's scheduled for completion in late August.

"It gives pedestrians from the Single Soldiers Quarters a straight shot to the PX," Haynie said.

Overall, the three projects are going smoothly, but they are a little behind schedule because of the recent wet weather, Haynie said.

On June 8, Stephan Ellis, CGI team leader for software testing, and a couple of his co-workers were walking across the field at Austin Road and Fort Sill Boulevard, returning from a hike to Knox Hall.

Ellis, who works in Building 3164, said he walks to many nearby buildings, and that he was looking forward to the new sidewalk.

"Walking across this field, it's uneven, and your shoes get wet from the morning dew," said Ellis, a military retiree who also walks to the PX and commissary. "With gas at $3 a gallon walking is the best way to go."