Shoppers heading to peruse the galleries and stores in Coupeville’s historic downtown will endure a major detour to get there this summer.

Construction to replace North Main Street has started. That project will detour traffic onto side roads during construction times.

Work crews were busy this week moving fire hydrants and trees to make way for the $900,000 construction project that will replace North Main Street and the stormwater drainage and install sidewalks on the east side of the road.

Starting Tuesday, workers will start tearing up the road from Third Street to Front Street. Traffic will detour onto neighboring Haller Street to get to downtown.

Mayor Nancy Conard said the road will be closed four days a week as workers work 10 hours a day. Motorists can access Main Street on evenings, Fridays and on weekends. Because of the Memorial Day weekend, workers are working Tuesday through Friday next week, Conard said.

People can access Main Street businesses from Fourth Street and Sixth Street. Conard said flaggers will be on hand to guide people to businesses on the western side of Main Street.

Officials have met with affected business owners and newsletters have gone out to the community. Conard said she will provide updates to residents through weekly e-mail addresses.

She said construction should be complete by Aug. 22

The start of the North Main Street project comes as the Front Street deck project and stormwater outfall project nears completion. That $277,000 project finished later than originally planned because of delays in fabricating materials.