Maxwell Boulevard gate to close in March Published Feb. 11, 2011 By Christopher Kratzer Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Personnel who use the Maxwell Boulevard gate to enter the base will have to use an alternate entry point March 14-25. The Maxwell Boulevard gate will close to allow construction to begin on a closeable gate similar to one at Gunter Annex's Congressman Dickinson gate, said Master Sgt. Rico Harvey of 42nd Security Forces Squadron. "The gate had to be specially made to cover the distance from the sidewalk to the concrete wall. The contractor will have to cut a groove in the road so that the gate will be level and roll properly," he said. Commuters are urged to use the Day Street and Kelly Street gates during this time, and should expect delays at both gates while construction is in progress. The Day Street gate is open 24 hours, and the Kelly Street gate is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Even though the gate closure will increase traffic, measures will be taken to mitigate increased traffic. "Security forces will have additional manpower at both gates with both (incoming and outgoing) lanes open from 0630 to 0800 during the week," he said. "Security forces will also be soliciting other organizations to provide additional manpower." While the extra personnel at the Day Street and Kelly Street gates will alleviate some of the traffic problems, personnel should allow extra time to enter Maxwell. "Since there will be only two gates open as opposed to three gates, it will be very difficult entering and exiting base because most people have the same duty hours," Sergeant Harvey said. "It will be smart to allow for an additional 30 minutes to enter and exit base during construction. Organizations may also want to get approval for staggered work hours." While construction is set to end on March 25, project completion will depend on the weather. "The construction delay will really depend on the weather since concrete can only be poured during certain temperatures," said Sergeant Harvey. Concrete has to be poured so that the closeable gate can be placed in the ground.