Russell Springs city employees began this week the initial stages of preparation and construction on the new decorative and street lighting project on the city’s Main St., according to city employee Jeremy Coffey.

Concrete work is now underway on the project as part of the sidewalk is being re-poured around the new light poles and “colored, stamped” concrete work could begin around the base of the poles early next week, Coffey said.

The project, which is in the $3,000-$5,000 range, is part of the efforts of the city’s downtown revitalization committee to beautify and shore up the town’s looks.

“(The price of) concrete is varying quite a bit right now,” he said.

Coffey said that the city was installing two types of street lights along the northern sidewalk, acorn, or decorative, street lights and colonial street lights. He said, at some point, both sides of Main St. would have the lighting but under the current financial crunch, only one side could be done at this time.

A main reason for the new lighting is to change the aesthetics of the street and rearrange the electric lines for optimum use as well as putting new electric plugs beside each new pole.

The city uses the plugs for Christmas decoration hookups and other things throughout the year, he said. The current plugs have been in use since the 1920’s and are becoming dangerous to use as many old wires are now exposed.

The lights will extend from the stoplight on the northern side of Main St. down to Pickett’s Shoe Store, Coffey said.

There will be six of the decorative street lights and seven others to make for 13 total along the street, he said.

Other than Coffey, other city employees working on the project are Mark Barnett, Mike Popplewell, Ronnie Jackson, Brian Stephens and Scottie Redmon. Diversified Electric is doing the project’s electric work, Coffey said.

The project should be completed some time this spring.

Russell Springs Mayor Hollis DeHart told the city council at last month’s regular meeting that he had put in an application for a grant through the Southeast Kentucky Tourist Commission that would allow the city to receive funding for several downtown revitalization projects.

The city is still awaiting word on the grant

The mayor also said he had applied for another grant through area development funds for a new $4,000 double-faced street clock that would eventually be placed on Main St. in Russell Springs at the meeting.

Coffey said, if the money comes available for the placement of the clock, that it would be installed around Grider Drug, about halfway down Main St.