Construction materials staged on Bloomfield Blvd. for West Ave. work project. JTV Photo.
South West Avenue will be closed to through traffic between Crescent Road and Kibby Road in the city of Jackson beginning Monday, May 13. This street closure is for the project to mill and repave the West Avenue pavement surface in this segment. This is a continuation of the work that was completed last fall when the water main was replaced and all sidewalk ramps were upgraded to ADA compliant. The onset of winter prevented the completion of paving at that time. Now that spring has arrived, the paving work can proceed. All work on West Avenue will be completed and the street opened to traffic by the end of May.
During the closure period, advanced warning and detour route signing will be erected to direct West Avenue traffic around the construction zone along a Fourth Street to Griswold to West Avenue route. During the West Avenue street closure period, the section of West Avenue through the Middle School at Parkside campus will not be impacted and all driveways to the school and athletic fields will remain open and accessible.
Construction update for the Essex Heights neighborhood:
Early last week, new water main pipe was drilled into place on Essex Lane. The underground crew then spent the week connecting the previously drilled sections of new water main pipe together and installing valves and hydrants. This work will be completed in the first part of this week. Immediately thereafter, the new water main sections on Grovedale, Glen and Essex Lane will be subjected to pressure and bacteria testing to make sure it is safe to put into use.
Over the past week, a second crew worked to install new water services from the new water main under the street to the basements of houses on Oakdale and Broadcrest. This work will continue through the first part of this week. After all houses are connected to the new water main, the old water main will be disconnected and taken out of service. Sanitary sewer work on Oakdale and Broadcrest will begin immediately after the old water main has been killed.
Essex Heights neighborhood. JTV photo.
Edgewood Street construction update:
During the first part of the past week, work continued to install new services from the new water main under the street to the basements of houses between Ganson and North. That work is now complete. The later part of the past week was spent preparing for the arrival of the concrete crew by removing broken sidewalk sections and sidewalks and curbs at corners where new ramps will be installed. This work will continue through the first part of this week.
By the middle of the week, the concrete crew will begin their work of putting down concrete to replace the previously removed sections of curb, driveways and sidewalk. The new concrete will take about a week to cure before it can be driven on. Where new concrete is placed across driveways, cars will have to be parked on adjacent sidestreets so that they don’t get blocked in.
Durand, Higby and Thompson Streets construction update:
Last Tuesday, the rain finally let up long enough to allow for the paving of Durand and Higby south of Carlton. Since then, the contractor has been working to raise the lids of manholes and valves up to match the top of the new asphalt surface. All manhole and valve adjustments will be completed in the first part of this week. At that time, work on these streets south of Carlton will be substantially complete.
The next phase of the project will be to repave Higby, Durand, and Thompson from Michigan Avenue to Wildwood. The start of the next phase has been delayed a bit – until May, 28, 2019, the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
Downtown Construction update:
Last Wednesday, construction began on S. Park Avenue and Elizabeth Street from E. Michigan Avenue to S. Van Dorn Avenue. The streets are located alongside the Jackson Train Station in downtown Jackson. City records show that the current pavement is from 1958 and last received a seal coating in 1986. Large potholes have formed, revealing the former brick street underneath.
Park and Elizabeth Street Project area. City of Jackson photo.
Starting this week, W. Michigan Avenue from Blackstone Street to First Street is receiving a major overhaul that will continue streetscape improvements in the downtown area. Crews will remove and replace the full depth of pavement, along with the antiquated brick sanitary sewer. Sidewalks, parking orientation, landscaping, and lighting will also be replaced to match the rest of Michigan Avenue in the downtown area. The total cost of the project is $978,076, which is funded through city street funds and special tax assessments. Construction is set to wrap up in mid-August.
Madison Avenue construction update:
Madison Avenue between Clinton Road and West Avenue was last paved in 1970. Madison is often used as a connector road between the West Avenue shopping area and a north side neighborhood. The current street condition is very poor with large potholes forming. Crews will mill the street surface and add a new layer of pavement, along with upgrading sidewalks and replacing damaged curbs. This project is set to wrap up in late May.
All of these streets will be closed to through traffic while construction is underway. Access to driveways and businesses will be maintained throughout the road work.