To the delight of city residents and business owners along historic Main Street in downtown Payson, the thoroughfare has reopened after spending most of the year under construction.

In January, the city closed Main Street to undertake a massive revitalization project that included infrastructure improvements; water, sewer and storm drain upgrades; and landscaping improvements.

The road and sidewalks between 100 North to 100 South were torn apart so crews could access utility lines underneath the street’s asphalt to make needed repairs.

Mayor Bill Wright explained that the updates hadn’t been addressed in 80 years.

“It had to be done,” he said.

According to Dave Tuckett, Payson’s city manager, the project hit multiple snags over the years to get the work completed.

The city received a $5 million grant from the Utah Legislature and another $3 million appropriated by the City Council toward infrastructure and road repairs before the COVID-19 pandemic that would have covered a significant chunk of the needed funding. But due to post-pandemic supply chain issues, those costs increased.

“The bid for the contract to do the whole project was about $17 million. It ballooned up, so we’ve had to do it in phases,” Tuckett explained. “But we were able to get the main two blocks of historic Main Street and south to Memorial Park.”

The major catalyst for the construction was the replacement of utility lines and upgrades to the infrastructure along Main Street.

For added flair, a water feature was added, as well as colored concrete and fresh landscaping.

To celebrate this milestone, the city held a celebratory block party officially reopening Main Street on Wednesday evening.

More than 300 people gathered along the thoroughfare for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, vintage car displays and giveaways from various businesses.

“Several businesses, even those that are not on Main Street, came and participated,” Tuckett said.

In efforts to help event attendees and community members learn more about the downtown Payson economy, a class from the Advanced Learning Center in neighboring Salem helped with some of the planning details, including work with local librarians to research history about buildings along the historic street.

“And we had a poster on each building to show what other businesses were in there since the early 1900s and the current businesses in there now,” Tuckett said.

While preserving the rich history of downtown Payson and its infrastructure is a priority for city leaders, so is making sure businesses stay afloat.

Tuckett admits the project was challenging, especially for Main Street business owners, with the road being torn up for nine months. But it was crucial for the long-term viability of the road, he added.

Courtney Hart operates an art studio, CourtneyCo Fine Art and Murals, located off Main Street. Because her business doesn’t solely rely on foot traffic, the construction didn’t cause a significant impact but was more of an inconvenience, she said.

“The biggest impediment was people having a hard time getting to my studio that I knew were coming, and so I had to go out and meet them,” said Hart, who would often have to give her clients a different address for people to park that was away from the studio.

Hart, who suffered a torn rotator cuff but continues to paint, is easily susceptible to migraines. The loud drilling and noise from construction would often make her work environment unbearable, she said.

“Once I get a migraine that’s really bad … I can’t work anymore,” Hart said. “And so I knew (on) the days that they were drilling nearby, it just made sense to do admin work from home instead of painting.”

She says now with the recent phase of construction completed, accessibility for clients and herself is better, and outdoor activities are more comfortable.

Hart noted other nearby businesses, including the Center of the Universe Cafe were impacted by the lack of foot traffic and closed while construction was going on, but have since reopened.

Tuckett said another phase of the revitalization project is set to begin sometime next spring.

“We’re going to do the parking lot behind the Main Street Library and two more blocks of the roadway going south, so it’s still a work in progress,” he said.

For now, Main Street is back open to traffic and pedestrians, and the city hopes for more awareness for its downtown economy while encouraging citizens to shop local.

“Just want to create an environment where businesses can flourish and hope people come and enjoy it,” Wright said.

Following a seemingly successful block party, city leaders hope to organize similar events in the future.