City of Alma Construction update
Bridge Avenue bridge
Work began in April on the bridge and has been progressing generally very well, with the exception that high river elevations in late April did delay some work temporarily. The bridge abutments have been modified and a new superstructure has been installed on the bridge which will make it a clear span or single span bridge. This removes the center support piers from within the river. Currently the work on the structure involves "wood forming" and placement of steel reinforcing bars for the new concrete bridge deck. The new bridge deck is scheduled to be poured on July 8. Final completion of the project is still scheduled for mid-August but the bridge should be open to traffic sometime in mid to late July. During the construction process, access to the bridge for heavy equipment, trucks and materials requires that the equipment be placed at either end of the bridge structure. This requires the intersection at Bridge Ave. and Washington St. to be closed during most of the construction period.
The detour route for south bound Bridge Ave. is Panther Parkway to Pine Ave. south to Superior St., Michigan Ave. and back to Bridge Ave. Bridge Ave. is closed to through traffic at Panther Pkwy., open only for businesses and residents north of the bridge. Similarly, Bridge Ave. is closed to through traffic at Michigan Ave. open only for local traffic. Washington St. is closed to through traffic at Euclid St. with local traffic access only.
Superior Street Reconstruction Project
Construction started on June 13th on Superior Street in the area from Luce Road to Charles Avenue which is Phase I of a two phase project. The second phase of the work is scheduled to start early August and will include the intersection of Luce Road, both north and south and will extend west of the intersection on Superior/Lincoln Street and south on Luce Road. Work to date progresses slowly and appears to be lagging behind schedule. The contractor is presently excavating the south half of the street to sub-grade elevations and installing storm sewers.
The completion date for both phases of the project is mid-September, but both phases are also scheduled to be open to traffic by Labor Day weekend.
The street is closed to through traffic, but permits local traffic for people to access their homes for those who have no other method of access. Navigating the obstacles of construction will present a daily challenge for those who must use the street, the way that you left in the morning may not work on your return trip home in the evening. We apologize for any inconvenience the construction causes and ask that those individuals that do not have to get to or from a location specifically on that section of Superior Street or Golfside Drive to please use the detour routes. We are aware that the detour routes are inconvenient; but attempting to drive through the construction area is also, rough condition may damage your car, and excessive traffic also extends the construction time required to complete the work.
The detour for Phase I Construction is from the Luce Road/Superior Street intersection either north to Monroe Road (M-46) then east to Alger Road, and south along Alger road; or south along Luce Road to Harrison Road, east on Harrison to Alger Road and north on Alger.
Pine River Sewer Project:
A new sanitary sewer is planned to be installed to replace a hundred year old sewer that runs along the south and east side of the Pine River from the intersection of Rockingham and Ely to near City Hall. Construction should start on July 5. Traffic on Superior Street near City Hall will not be affected by the construction. A section of Ely Street will be closed in the area of Grafton to Rockingham during a portion of the construction. All work on Ely Street is scheduled to be completed by Labor Day weekend. Also affected by the construction will be the Riverwalk from Ely Street to Superior Street during the construction period.
Dependent upon where the construction is occurring, and the construction operations being performed the Riverwalk within this area will be closed intermittently during the course of this construction project. When construction is occurring on or near Ely Street, traffic will be detoured from the intersection of Rockingham and Ely, south on Rockingham to Hawley Lane, Hawley Lane eastward to Grafton, north on Grafton to Ely Street. There may be delays during some periods when work is occurring within the intersection.
Washington Street/N. Court Avenue Watermain Project:
Work is scheduled to start on July 18, on the installation of a new watermain on N. Court Avenue starting at Walnut and running north to Washington Street. Much of the new watermain will be installed using a method known as directional boring and will therefore cause minimal disruption to the residents along the affect street. After the new watermain has been properly connected to the City's water system and it has passed pressure tests and bacterial tests, local residents will be unhooked from the old watermain and reconnected to the new eight inch watermain.
The second phase of this project is the abandonment of an old four inch watermain on Washington Street and connection of residents to the existing 12 inch watermain. Work will also include disconnection of the old watermain at the intersection of cross streets. This work will extend from the intersection of Washington and Pine eastward to Washington and Euclid.
The work on N. Court Street will not dictate a specific detour route. Work that occurs along Washington Street will require the closure of the street for intermittent periods and will be from the Pine Avenue/Washington Street intersection south to Richmond, east on Richmond to Euclid, North on Euclid to Washington Street.
Come join the fun on Friday, August 5 beginning at 5:00 p.m.at Masonic Pathways. Start the evening off by attending the Cruise-In Car Show and enjoy classic cars and music. If you have a car you would like to show, please call Kelly at 466-3835 by August 1st for more information and pre-registration.
