Main Street closures shifting, businesses adapt
This section of Main Street, from Cullom to East Church streets, was still closed to traffic on Tuesday morning, even though the city had said earlier that it would be reopened by Monday (Sept. 15). (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
Beginning this week and continuing through Oct. 3, Main Street will also be closed to traffic from East Church to Kincaid streets, and then, Oct. 6-24, from Kincaid to Broad streets.
The traffic disruptions are the result of street, sidewalk and utility construction work continues to keep most of Market Street and part of Main Street closed.
Main Street shutdowns will continue through Nov. 24. They come after several weeks of having Market Street closed from Main to Cullom streets, blocking vehicular access to the fronts of most of the downtown businesses along Market.
All of the Market Street businesses remain open throughout the construction, however, with parking available in the two downtown parking lots – on Commerce Street and on North Main Street at North Hicks Street.
Historic Downtown Clinton reported on its Facebook page on Monday that even with the closures, downtown visits on Fridays and Saturdays are actually up since the construction began.
“We’re shouting a big thank you from the rooftops of our historic buildings to every single person that has supported downtown, especially over the last few months,” the Facebook post said. “Adventure Anderson County helped us evaluate visitation from May-August of 2024 vs. 2025 and the numbers don’t lie: Friday-Sunday visitation is up 11.3%!
“Overall our visits are down just 1.5%, but visitors as a whole are up!” it continued. “This is no small thing — if you have been downtown at all, you made a difference for a small business and to those who love their community and want to continue to see it growing and thriving.”
The organization said the data it used to determine downtown traffic was “supplied from Placer.ai — reporting that pings cellphone data in specific areas. The reports are specific to Market and Main Street.”
With the Market Street construction underway, many of the downtown businesses have rear doors that customers may use during the disruptions.
The continuing Market Street closure will force the relocation of much of the Clinch River Fall Antique Festival, which is slated for Oct. 3-4, with plans calling for vendors to be set up in part of the city’s Commerce Street parking lot.
Here is the remaining schedule of Main Street traffic disruptions, in effect through Nov. 24:
For Phase 2, from Sept. 15-Oct. 3, the detour routes are:
• Southbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow East Church Street to North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard to Kincaid Street as the designated detour.
• Northbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow Kincaid Street to North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard to East Church Street as the designated detour.
For Phase 3, Oct. 6-24, the detour routes will be:
• Southbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow Kincaid Street to North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard to Broad Street as the designated detour.
• Northbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow Broad Street to North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard to Kincaid Street as the designated detour.
The closures will repeat when the “concrete segment” of the Main Street work begins:
Phase 1: Nov. 3-10, the section of Main Street between Kincaid Street and Broad Street will be closed for construction.
Detour routes:
• Southbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow Kincaid Street to North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard to Broad Street as the designated detour.
• Northbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow Broad Street to North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard to Kincaid Street as the designated detour.
Phase 2: Nov. 10-17, the section of Main Street between East Church Street and Kincaid Street will be closed.
Detour routes:
• Southbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow East Church Street to North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard to Kincaid Street as the designated detour.
• Northbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow Kincaid Street to North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard to East Church Street as the designated detour.
Phase 3: Nov. 17-24, the section of Main Street between East Church Street and Cullom Street will be closed.
Detour routes:
• Southbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow North Hicks Street to West Broad Street to Main Street as the designated detour.
• Northbound traffic (toward Market Street): Follow West Broad Street to North Hicks Street to Main Street as the designated detour.
The schedule for the Main Street closures and the detour routes during those shutdowns are detailed online at clintontn.net/o/clinton/page/main-street.
This is part of a $9.9 million project that began in late February and is expected to last for about 17 months total in the historic area of downtown Clinton as new water and sewer lines are installed, sidewalks are replaced and improved, and landscaping is added.
The complete Market Street shutdown came in July after downtown merchants met with the city and asked for the street to be closed so the work could be speeded up and finished earlier than originally scheduled.
Barricades have been in place since the shutdown at the top of Market Street where it meets Main Street, and on the other end to just east of Cullom Street.
Boundaries of the project are nearly all of Market Street, from Cullom to Main, then Main from Market to Broad streets; and Broad from Main Street to Lakefront Park at Charles G. Seivers Boulevard. Pearl Alley off Market Street will also be included.
