[media-credit name=’YANA PASKOVA/Herald Photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]City officials expressed their satisfaction with the progression of the State Street landscape project Thursday during a meeting of the city's State Street Design Oversight Committee.

The committee, comprised of representatives from various city utility and design committees, gave updates on the third and fourth phases of the project, which involve the 300 through 600 blocks of State Street.

"Things have been going smoothly," Ald. Austin King, District 8, said after the meeting. "The good news is we learned a lot of lessons from the previous years."

Steve Gohde, engineer for the Madison Department of Public Works, agreed with King's sentiments and specifically briefed the committee on Phase Three of the project, which will redevelop the 300 and 400 blocks of the street this summer.

"The good news is the estimates and the bids [for construction] came close," Gohde said. "We're on track. … Everything's getting geared up."

Gohde said the bid for construction will total approximately $3.2 million but does not include estimates for costs like engineering and for installing planters.

According to Gohde, the Gilman Street and State Street intersection will be a primary focus, while the city plans to start construction on Gorham Street after students leave for the summer.

Ken Streit, committee member and representative of the Madison Transit and Parking Commission, raised concern about heightened traffic flow once construction on the Gorham Street and State Street intersection begins.

"We could have real backups unless we think about it," Streit said. "It'll be a gridlock of cars."

However, Gohde said traffic flow would not be as heavy because construction will begin in the summer, when most students will be away from the area.

Archie Nicolette of the Madison Department of Planning and Development also unveiled possible designs for the sidewalk-posting kiosks, where students will be able to post events and advertisements.

"What we're trying to do is make it feel like [a kiosk] is a piece of furniture and a part of a family of elements on State Street," Nicolette said.

Among the benefits of newly designed kiosks is the use of aluminum, which will be "easy" to repair and replace, Nicolette added.

Gohde also revealed preliminary plans for Phase Four, which will cover redevelopment of the 500 and 600 blocks, an area heavily populated with student traffic.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the business owners on the block are excited for the revival of a block Verveer called "fragile."

"The stakeholders are anticipatory for the project to hit their block," he said. "[The block] is in very poor shape."

Turning Gilman Street into a two-way street and raising the elevation of the ground at the Lake Street and State Street intersection are among proposed improvements for the phase that will begin next summer.

Gohde emphasized improvements to the Lake Street intersection are greatly needed.

"Lake Street has some major utility problems," he added.

After the meeting, King said with each phase, the city has learned to deal with issues such as accommodating constant sidewalk access to businesses during construction and even some technical problems.

"We're getting better at anticipating," King added. "Hopefully by [the last phase] we'll have this all perfected."