By Mark Wineka

Salisbury Post

Pedestrians and motorists in the vicinity of the Rowan County Justice Center and the Detention Center can expect to navigate through a construction zone over the next year.

Salisbury City Council approved Tuesday requests to close the sidewalk and a travel lane on North Church Street next to the jail.

It also will allow the closing of a sidewalk and parking spaces next to the Justice Center on the West Liberty Street side.

H.M. Kern Contractors, which is doing the renovations for both centers, has erected temporary stair towers next to the buildings in both locations.

For security reasons, a stair tower is necessary for outside access to the jail, which will be expanded.

The Justice Center's temporary stair tower also is needed to provide third-floor access from the outside.

That building project will provide two new courtrooms.

Kern is being asked to construct a covered, handicapped-accessible walkway for pedestrians in the 100 block of West Liberty Street. It will be located in the parking spaces next to the Justice Center.

In another traffic matter, council approved the removal of "No Turn on Red"' signs from westbound Grove Street onto Innes Street and from the eastbound direction of Mahaley Avenue onto Mocksville Avenue.

City Traffic Engineer Wendy Brindle said both restrictions had been in place because of limited sight distances caused by shrubs at Mahaley and Mocksville avenues and a hedge at Grove and Innes Streets.

The shrubs and hedge have been removed. New plantings at Grove and Innes do not block sight distance, Brindle reported.

So, right turns on red will now be allowed at those intersections.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263, or mwineka@salisburypost.com.

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