As plans for the downtown jail expansion become finalized, Disa Wohlstrand of Ayers Associates says her team's eager to get started after waiting nearly three years.

“The whole team didn't go too far with the design until they had the blessing of the city, so the architectural team and the building engineers are digging in fast and furious on the redesigned building,” says Wohlstrand.

The county says the first work done on the site won't be the foundation of the new building.

“The first project that is going to get underway is a parking garage over the law enforcement parking area,” describes County Planning and Development Director Mel Erickson.

“The parking lot that will be to the north of that,” he says, referencing the location of the future jail building, “Will be one of the first things that will be constructed so that we can replace some of the parking that we will be losing during the construction process.”

Erickson says Second Avenue could be closed as early as August, and remain closed for a year, until the new connection is built between First and Second.

“The S curve is going to start right by the corner of the pink house, the Ivey property, the pink house, and it'll curve in an S shape and it will join up with First Avenue, right about where First Avenue and Ann Street meet up currently,” says Erickson.

Even though First and Second Avenues won't be closed at the same time, the county and those working on the jail ask for the community's patience.

“Construction's a challenge and it will disrupt, but if there's good communication and a good plan in place they can minimize that disruption,” says Wohlstrand.

Erickson says bids have already come in for the parking structure and are expected by mid-July for the parking lot. Bids won't be put out until later this summer or early fall for the jail building itself, once the final plans are finished by Ayers Associates and Venture Architects.

The county hopes to break ground in late September and to have the foundation finished on the new jail building by this winter.

The final construction and remodeling of the jail is slated to be finished by 2014.

As construction continues information on road closures can be found on the county's Web site, http://www.co.eau-claire.wi.us/