As winter draws nearer, construction crews around the city are completing work on several city projects, including the State Street Mall update and reconstruction of East Johnson Street.

The State Street project, which was supposed to have been completed by Oct. 31, was extended due to several unforeseen conditions, according to city engineer Chris Petykowski. Those unforeseen conditions included a slow down due to underground utilities which resulted in a delay in pouring concrete, he said.

The concrete work was completed Nov. 8, and the newly constructed areas were opened to pedestrian traffic by Tuesday, he said. Crews will work to install lighting and accents to the site over the next two weeks before ending construction for the winter at the end of November, he said.

Landscaping items, including laying sod and planting, will be completed by June 1, 2015, Petykowski said.

The final aspect of the project is the installation of a large, maple leaf-shaped sculpture at the intersection of East Campus Mall and State Street, which is set to occur in August 2015, he said.

The city has allocated $500,000 in the 2015 executive capital budget for the sculpture, but Petykowski said the estimated cost of the sculpture will be closer to $300,000.

The large maple leaf design was created by local artist Jill Sebastian, who also designed the other six blocks of the pedestrian-friendly Madison thoroughfare.

The original plan called for saving several large trees around the Humanities Building and the Wisconsin Historical Society building, but due to root damage they had to be removed and replaced, Petykowski said.

The project’s goal was to increase the flexibility of the space by providing more open space for food carts and events, he said.

“Throughout the design process we’ve had some goals as far as keeping it a flexible space … instead of have more big, blocky things, hav[ing] more open space,” he said.

The new design will also be more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly, Petykowski said.

The old layout featured several stairs along the 800 block, preventing bicyclists from using the space effectively, he said, and a prior city ordinance prohibiting bicycle traffic in the two blocks was repealed, as well.

Construction on East Johnson Street is also close to completion for the year, according to the city’s website.

In a statement, Mayor Paul Soglin announced he and Ald. Ledell Zellers, District 2 would be present at a “Jam on Johnson” event to celebrate the end of the road’s construction.

The ribbon cutting will occur at 3:45 p.m Friday at the corner of East Johnson Street and North Paterson Street.

The event will run until 8 p.m. Friday, according to the statement.

Stage 5 of the project is scheduled to be completed on Nov. 18. The project is expected to be completed by May 30, 2015, according to the city’s website.