The 'Streetscape' project is back in action in downtown Wareham.

Earlier last week, construction crews began the third phase of the ongoing downtown Village Streetscape Design Project on Main Street, in some cases causing traffic to be rerouted to Merchant's Way and High Street and then back onto Main Street while some of the work takes place.

“They’ll be repaving the street, updating the sidewalk, and putting in some lights,” said Salvador Pina, the Director of the Community of Economic Development Authority, who added that a total of four phases will take place in all.

The five-year project, which started in 2011, is aimed at making downtown more pedestrian-friendly by slowing down vehicle traffic.

Pina said the third phase, which started early last week, is basically a continuation of the previous two phases, which have seen updates to things like sidewalks, curbing, crosswalks, lighting, and signage.

“It’s similar to what’s gone on for the other two phases—they’re just going to continue,” said Pina.

The span of the project runs from the Tremont Nail company to Besse Park, though the work for this phase spans from the Getty Gas and Service Station to the Post Office.  Most of the sidewalk on the west side of the road, opposite the Fire Station, had been removed and is scheduled to be widened.

Nearly $700,000 was secured in state grants in 2011, which is expected to fund the entire project with no contribution necessary from the town of Wareham.

Pina said work for this phase is scheduled to be completed by May 31, and that the fourth phase would not take place for at least another year-and-a-half.

Past work on the project has sparked complaints from several businesses along Main Street, with business owners saying customers have had trouble accessing the storefronts due to the construction.

“Time will tell,” said Dominic Cammarano, owner of Gateway Gold and Pawn, who added that he wasn’t too worried about the project because he’d heard it wasn’t supposed to last long.  “It should be pretty quick.”

At Minerva Pizzeria, it was business as usual Monday afternoon, and when asked if the construction had caused any negative effects on the business, worker Jennifer Murphy was quick to say it had not.

“Not at all,” she said.  “I thought it was going to, but it hasn’t.”

Owner Jim Kalkanis echoed his employee’s statement, and commended the town for all of their hard work surrounding this and other similar projects.

“It’s progress,” said Kalkanis.  “Sal (Pina) has been working very hard to make improvements.  Everyone involved at Town Hall has been working together to make sure they got it right.  They’ve got the right formula now.  We haven’t seen that for a long time.”