Danville’s Fairchild Street Overpass To Open Saturday

Traffic flow in Danville’s Germantown neighborhood should improve Saturday, with the opening of the new $2 -million-Fairchild Street Overpass, following a 12 PM ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The quarter-mile-long Overpass replaces the nearly-century-old Fairchild Subway, which the city closed in 2011, due to structural deterioration. Mayor Scot Eisenhauer says the loss of the Subway put a dent in the local east-west traffic flow.

"It’s made a significant impact on our Vorhees Street area", said Eisenhauer. "It’s also hampered some of the abilities for traffic movement around the high school, which faces Fairchild Street."

Like the old Fairchild Subway, the new Fairchild Street Overpass will cover six city blocks --- including three railroad tracks, frrom Rogers Street to North Bowman Avenue.

Germantown neighborhood native and former Danville Alderwoman Lois Cooper will lead a parade of city vehicles for the first official trip over the new Overpass. Cooper also made a final ceremonial crossing of the old Fairchild Subway in 2011, before it was filled in.