Apricot Annie's Update: Lane Closure on First Street During Business Hours, and More

Los Altos Patch is becoming an Apricot Annie fan.

Each week, Annie's Update, more prosaically named "First Street Construction Update," lands in email boxes all over. This service began when First Street construction ramped up two weeks ago.

Signs with Apricot Annie's perky visage have sprouted all along Foothill Expressway, Edith Avenue and along San Antonio Road, directing drivers how to get to different areas of downtown.

Perhaps it's a cheap trick to anthropomorphize a cute character created to bring some friendliness and warmth to what has been described by merchants, and customers as a frustrating situation. We kind of like her.

Anyway, Los Altos Patch thinks the more you know about First Street's construction, the better it is when you go downtown.

Here's an abridged version of the newsletter below, the full version you can see by following any of these steps:

- Visit  the First Street Los Altos website
- If you like social media for its immediacy, you should "like" the First Street Project Facebook page
- And follow them on Twitter at @FirstStreetLA
- Sign up for Annie's Updates newsletter so it just lands in your mailbox

What’s happening next: Week of August 15-19

• Continue extracting below grade dirt for street sub-base.
• Continue creating new curbs and gutters.
• Pour an excavation of a new storm drain trench. 
• Continue laying out a storm drain pipe, which will stretch from South Street towards Parking Plaza North.
• Begin limited night work on water lines to prevent a service interruption.
• Begin removing trees.

Traffic Update

• There will be a continued temporary lane closure on First Street between State and Parking Plaza North during work hours.

Interesting Facts

• The City of Los Altos has installed two new 20 minute parking spaces in Parking Plaza Central to assist customers with making quick pick-ups and drop-offs.