Second Avenue to reopen to traffic a year after Christmas Day bombing

One year after a bomb went off destroying a block of Second Avenue, the city will reopen the street to traffic and pedestrians — though not nearly back to normal.

Second Avenue North at Commerce Street will open to one lane, northbound, for traffic on Monday, Dec. 27, and one pathway for pedestrians. However, Metro officials warn that there will still be periodic closures for construction purposes over the coming months. Safety fencing will remain between construction and reopened pathways.

The rebuilding process since the Christmas Day bombing has been slower than hoped because of the age and ownership of the buildings. One historic structure has 28 different owners. In total, the bombing impacted more than 60 downtown buildings — close to 40 of them are back up and running.