Lead Service Lines to be Replaced on East Michigan Avenue

A view looking east from Downtown Jackson of East Michigan Avenue.  JTV photo.

(August 16, 2022 10:58 AM) The ongoing effort to replace all of Jackson’s lead service lines is expected to cause traffic impacts on a busy street this summer and fall. Lead service line replacements on East Michigan Avenue are set to begin the week of Monday, Aug. 29 and last through mid-Nov. 2022.

The replacements are happening on the entire length of E. Michigan in the City of Jackson, which stretches from N. Cooper Street to the city limits at Horton Street. This 1.3 mile stretch is a major access point for Downtown Jackson, Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors. Approximately 40 lead service lines will be replaced during the construction project. Because these replacements are happening on a busy street, lane closures and shifts will be required for the safety of workers and drivers. E. Michigan will remain open in both directions while the replacements are underway.

Work is scheduled to start at N. Cooper Street and move east toward the city limits. Once the replacements are complete, the street surface, sidewalks and driveways will be repaired. This work is happening due to the City’s effort to replace all 11,339 lead service lines over the next 35 years to comply with a State of Michigan mandate. As of this August, the City has replaced 381 lead service lines, with 10,958 yet to be addressed. Residents can learn more about this effort in the “Lining Up Jackson” section of the City website by visiting cityofjackson.org/liningupjackson.