The dreaded overhaul of the five-way intersection at Broadway, Pearl Avenue and Flat Creek Drive starts today, though slowly.

The site is one of the busiest traffic locations in the state. In 2011 the Wyoming Department of Transportation counted an average of just more than 15,000 vehicles a day at the intersection.

Workers were inspecting the area last week and will be there today to begin assembling backhoes, trucks and other equipment at the construction site.

Crews expect to break ground on the project March 25. That’s when a portion of West Broadway will be closed, narrowing the road to two lanes.

The project will run from the Flat Creek Bridge through Jackson Street. First up is the western portion.

Evans Construction Company of Teton County will begin by installing a new storm sewer, said Bob Hammond, resident engineer with the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

Next will be work on the water and sewer lines. In the end, the road will have new concrete pavement, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, traffic signals, street lighting and landscaping.

The first half of the project is scheduled to be done by June 30, leaving the road open during peak tourism season.

Construction will resume Aug. 21 on the eastern segment and finish up by Nov. 20.

During the work, left turns will be prohibited in the construction zone.

WYDOT picked Evans for the job after the company said it could do the work for $5.75 million. The only other bid came from Washington-based Acme Concrete Paving Inc. and was just under $6 million.

Because the bids were higher than expected, the town of Jackson ended up paying an extra $175,000. That pushed the town’s bill for the project to $2.345 million.

Most of the town money is paying for right-of-way easements and sidewalk improvements.

For information, visit JacksonStreets.com.