Festival organizers say safety ‘a priority’ with senior center construction

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Cherry Blossom may be in full swing but construction around Central City Park is still a work in progress.

Just a few feet away from the entrance of Cherry Blossom there’s plenty of hustle and bustle going on across the street with the county’s soon to be complete senior center.

However, festival organizers and construction crews are making great effort not to mix business with pleasure.

“We’ve got a lot of construction going on especially across the front where the road is…we’re trying to be really safe,” said construction Supervisor Randy Barrfield.

That’s why organizers and crews on site are both taking extra precaution and extra effort to stay on their side of the street.

“You do see all the construction but it’s not a hindrance at all. So I encourage everybody to get on out here,” said Festival Chair Marvel Burgess.

Foot traffic and car traffic on Willie Smokie Glover Drive has reached new heights since the festival’s open last week–something Barrfield says his crews are prepared to keep flowing.

“We’re working a little bit in the road with guys helping us get cars and traffic by people,” he told 41NBC.

Festival spokesperson Marvel Burgess says even though work on the Senior Center is on going just a few feet away, it shouldn’t create any issues for safety or traffic.

“We’ve got a lot of volunteers directing people away from the construction, security is as heavy as it has ever been down here. We’ve got routes keeping people out of the way of the construction,” she said.

As work and play continue on their perspective sides of the street, organizers are keeping safety of visitors and crews a top priority.

Crews will not be working on the center this Saturday and Sunday while larger crowds are expected to be at the festival so that shouldn’t be an issue for attendees.

Contractors still working on the new senior center are still looking at about three months until its completion.