A decision has been made to delay a streetscape project for Water Avenue near the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

There was some concern about finishing the project before March’s Bridge Crossing Jubilee and the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, which helped spark the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

That concern is justified. The eyes of the world will turn to Selma next spring, and we wouldn’t want them to see traffic cones and construction equipment.

Delaying the project until next year is the right decision. However, there is another point that needs to be considered.

To redo Water Avenue from the bridge to Arts Revive could cost as much as $700,000.  To bury utility lines would drive that cost close to $1 million.

That’s a problem because the city currently only has about $500,000 in a grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Mayor George Evans and other city leaders are confident the city will reserve additional grant money. We hope these additional dollars are awarded and set aside for the project.

This year’s Jubilee is of historical significance but every year is. There are also downtown events like the Tale Tellin’ Festival, the Alabama River Chili Cookoff and other annual events near the bridge.

The project needs to be delayed until sufficient funds are received to ensure all of Water Avenue from the Old Depot to Arts Revive matches in the scope of work that’s already been performed on the Old Depot side.

If that takes a year, or two years, we only have one chance to get it right without having to tear it all up and start over.