The new year did not bring completion to the new sidewalks along Key West's Flagler Avenue, which remains closed from Bertha to White streets. Residents now can expect a Valentine's Day reopening of New Town's main artery.

Work on the new sidewalks began in July and was expected to take about six months, but "the original January completion date did not take into account our blackout dates for holidays," said Karen Olson, the city's project manager.

Crews did not work on holidays to alleviate noise in the neighborhoods, Olson said.

Also, the scope of the project changed during the work to include replacement of a water main that was in bad shape, and would have required repair or replacement soon after the new sidewalks were finished, said Gary Bowman, the city's general services director.

"The public and the residents have been gracious and not really beating us up too much with the rerouting and the traffic through the neighborhoods," Bowman said. "When it's finished, things will be a lot safer for everyone."

The project has been in the works for more than five years, and includes the installation of sidewalks where there previously were none. Workers also raised the height of the crown of the road, which is expected to lead to better drainage, City Commissioner Barry Gibson has said.

After the road is reopened, city workers will landscape it on both sides, Bowman said.

The total construction price tag is about $1.4 million, Olson said. The city is paying $300,000 and the Florida Department of Transportation is footing the rest of the bill.

The project required intense negotiations with some Flagler Avenue homeowners who, over the years, had encroached on city property with landscaping, fences, stone walls and mailboxes.

mbolen@keysnews.com