We recently joined Carmichael on Main Street,
one of three city street construction projects she is coordinating. "Currently
we are focusing on drainage improvements, which are being done to alleviate flooding. When
this is complete, paving operations will begin on Main Street, West Street and Front
Street. Sidewalks will be poured, antique streetlights will be installed and Gene Allen
Park will be built," she said pointing to a location adjacent to the Arlington Museum
of Art.
Although rains in May slowed progress, the city is only about one week behind schedule.
Carmichael visits the site several days a week. With Inspector David Watson, the two
monitor the $2.4 million project, which is to be completed in November.
While a backhoe is pouring gravel into the pit, Carmichael explains the non-technical
aspects of the job.
"Construction projects always impact someone. At the beginning of a project,
during the initial disturbance, my phone lines light up like a Christmas tree," she
said. "A lot of calls come in -- some complaints, some compliments.
"Complaints usually pertain to problems left in the wake of construction, such as
mud left on driveways, vehicle tracks through the yard and downed fences. We hold the
contractors responsible for correcting these problems, but in the meantime, I listen with
concern for the citizen," she said.
"We make every effort to listen and respond to the concerns of citizens and
merchants affected by construction," Carmichael said. "While merchants
appreciate the fact that in the long-term they will benefit from these improvements, they
are naturally concerned about how construction may impact their businesses in the
short-term."
The Main Street construction project accounts for about 40 percent of her time. She is
also coordinating the widening of Lamar Boulevard in north Arlington and the extension of
Mayfield Road in the southwest part of the city.
Carmichael reviews plats and plans for commercial development and new subdivisions. She
provided in-house design of the paving portion of the Main Street project.
As her site visit to Main Street ends, Carmichael stops to greet a merchant who is
standing at her doorway watching the backhoe plunge for another scoop of dirt. After
months of coordinating details, Carmichael is on a first-name basis with almost all the
shop owners near the work site.
"The amount of daily interaction with the public is a surprising aspect of civil
engineering, but it is a large part of why I enjoy my job so much," she said.
"Sometimes citizens call because they appreciate our efforts. Those are the kind
of calls that keep me going," she said.
