CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS: City Invests $12.7 Million In Road And Sidewalk Improvements

By Press release submission

Jun 21, 2020

City of Grand Rapids issued the following announcement on June 17.

The community again can expect to see improvements to streets and sidewalks across the city this summer as the City of Grand Rapids begins its seventh season of ramped-up road construction.

The City Commission has approved a road construction plan for July through June 2021 that includes another 30 miles of street improvements this year. This will bring the total miles of streets improved over the past six years to 457.

The $10.5 million investment is spread out over 59 locations across the city. In addition, the City plans $2.2 million in various sidewalk repair and construction projects across all three wards this year.

Below is a partial list of 2020 road construction projects with no start dates set to date. Street projects, listed in alphabetical order, may be carried over to the next construction season. A partial list of street paving projects planned by the City’s Public Works Department also is included. Other locations may be added.

Rotomill/resurfacing

Auburn Avenue NE – Sweet to north end and Palmer, Dale and Drexel
Bates Street SE – Union to Eastern
Benjamin Avenue NE – Bradford to Cedar
Bradford Street NE – Plymouth to Perkins and Perkins – Bradford to Mason
Capen Street NE – Eastern to Houseman
Cass Avenue SE – Delaware to Franklin
Chatham Street NW – Indiana to Straight
Chester Street SE – Diamond to Carroll
Corrine Street SW – Buchanan to Division
Crescent Street NE – Grand to Fuller
Davis Avenue NW – Seventh to Eleventh
Dunham Street SE – Eastern to Fuller
Eastern Avenue SE – Ardmore to Oakdale
Eastern Avenue NE – Fountain to Crescent
Eastern Avenue SE – Hall to Franklin
Elliott Street SE – Thelma to Nelson
Hake Road NE – Eastern to Diamond
Hall Street SE – Division to Jefferson
Hall Street SE – Plymouth to east city limits
Henry Avenue SE – Franklin to Sherman
High Street SW – Grandville to Century
Holland Avenue NE – Fulton to Fountain
Houseman Avenue NE – Grand Rapids/Eastern railroad to Hake
Innes Street NE – Diamond to Fuller
Jennette Avenue NW – Seventh to Ninth and 11th to 12th
John Ball Park Drive SW – Butterworth to Park
Kalamazoo Avenue SE – Hall to Alexander
Madison Avenue SE – 28th to Burton
Market Avenue SW – Westbound I-196 on-ramp to 200 feet west of Plaster Creek and Coit to Wealthy
Mason Street NE – Fuller to Ball
Meerse Street SE – Division to east end
Merritt Street SE – Eastern to Blaine
North Avenue NE – Shirley to Walnut
Paris Avenue SE – Alger to Ardmore
Pine Avenue NW – 12th to Leonard
Prospect Avenue NE – Lyon to Michigan
Race Street NE – Diamond to Fuller
Stocking Avenue NW – Bridge to Second
Third Street NW – Pine to Fremont
Virginia Street SE – Eureka to Diamond
Walker Avenue NW – Stocking to Leonard
Walnut Street NE – North to Union

Other road projects

Alger Street SE – Madison to Kalamazoo (water main, reconstruction)
Division Avenue South – Wealthy to Cherry (reconstruction)
Emerald Avenue NE – Arbor to Leonard (water main, reconstruction)
Madison Avenue SE – Cottage Grove to Adams (reconstruction)
Chestnut Street SW – 570 feet west of Godfrey to Godfrey (sewer separation, reconstruction)
Curve Street SW – Godfrey to E Avenue (sewer separation, reconstruction)
Eastern Avenue SE – Burton to Ardmore (water main, reconstruction)
Franklin Street SW – Division to east city limits (water main, resurfacing)
Fulton Street East – Benjamin to Wallinwood (water main, reconstruction)
Godfrey Avenue SW – South city limits to Market (sewer separation, reconstruction)
Griggs Street SE – Plymouth to Hutchinson (water main, reconstruction)
Hall Street SE – Kalamazoo to east of Sylvan (water main, reconstruction)
Hall Street SW – Godfrey to Underhill (sewer separation, reconstruction)
Hastings Street NE – Prospect to College (water main, sanitary and storm sewer, reconstruction)
Hastings Street NE – Coit to College (non-motorized pathway)
Trowbridge Street NE extension – North to College and Sinclair – Hastings to Trowbridge extension (new street construction, reconstruction)
Lake Drive SE – Atlas to east city limits (curb replacement, resurfacing)
Lake Eastbrook Boulevard SE – East Beltline to 28th Street (water main, reconstruction)
Lyon Street NE – Mack to Fuller (water main, rotomill/resurfacing)
Madison Avenue SE – Franklin to Wealthy (water main, sanitary sewer, rotomill/resurfacing)
Mason Street NW – Monroe to Division (water main, sanitary and storm sewer, reconstruction)
Norwich Avenue SW – Curve to Hayden (sewer separation, water main, reconstruction, resurfacing)
Ottawa Avenue NW – Hastings to Newberry (water main, sanitary and storm sewer, reconstruction)
Ottawa Avenue NW – Mason to Walbridge (water main, sanitary and storm sewer, reconstruction)
Oxford Street SW – Norwich to Godfrey (sewer separation, reconstruction)
Prince Street SE – Madison to Eastern (sewer separation, water main, reconstruction)
Rosewood Avenue SE – CSX railroad to Burton (water main, reconstruction)
Three Mile Road NE – Fuller to east city limits (bike lanes, sidewalk, resurfacing)
Tremont Boulevard NW – Covell to Mount Mercy (water main, reconstruction)
Valley Avenue NW – Fourth to Walker (reconstruction)
Woodward Lane SE – Sunnybrook to Fulton and Sunnybrook – Woodward to Fulton (water main, resurfacing)

Public Works Department resurfacing projects:

Arianna Street NW – Valley to Powers
Batchawana Street SE – Rosewood to Dawes
Belknap Avenue NE – Sligh to Conger
Brenner Street NE – College to Union
Burke Avenue NE – Malta to Capen
Burke Avenue NE – Maybelle to Short
Capen Street NE – Spring to Burke
Carlton Avenue NE – Sweet to Knapp
Carrier Creek Boulevard NE– Emerald to Diamond
Cherry Run Drive NW – Moreland to Longmeadow
Clover Crest NW – Leonard to Trail
Coldbrook Street NW – Ottawa to Division
Cottage Grove Street SE – Jefferson to Madison
Dawes Avenue SE – Shangri-La to Batchawana
Deloney Avenue SW – Park to Watson
Eastern Avenue NE – Knapp to Eleanor
Edgewood Avenue NE – Knapp to Eleanor
Edmund Avenue NE – Leonard to Hubert
Edwin Street NW – Turner to Will
Emerald Avenue NE – Flat to Arbor
Euclid Avenue SE – Hall to Home
Ewing Avenue SE – Kalamazoo to Adams
Fairbanks Street NE – Coit to Lafayette
Fairlane Avenue NE – Sweet to N Kentview
Fay Avenue NW – Leonard to Laughlin
Fountain Street NE – Houseman to Diamond
Fremont Avenue NW – Dorothy to Thornapple Court
Graham Street SW – Oakland to Century
Graham Street SW – Ionia to Buchanan
Griggs Street SE – Eastern to Linden
Hampshire Boulevard SE – Ridgewood to Edgewood
Herrick Avenue NE – Kentwood Drive to north dead end
Homer Street NE – Coit to Sligh
Houseman Avenue NE – Knapp to Eleanor
Hubert Street NE – Union to Edmund
Jennette Avenue NW – Dorothy to Sylvia
Jerome Avenue SW – Burton to Kirtland
Labelle Street SW – Division to Jefferson
Langdon Avenue NE – Fountain to Lyon
Laurel Street SW – Oakland to Grandville
Lincoln Avenue NW – Leonard to Twelfth
Lincoln Avenue NW – Walker to Eleventh
Lincoln Avenue NW – Walker to Atlantic
Lynch Street SW – Clyde Park to Century
Matilda Street NE – Ball to Plymouth
Mason Street NE – Ball to Plymouth
Maumee Drive SE – Burton to Menominee
McReynolds Avenue NW – Richmond to north end
Mount Mercy Drive NW – Bridge to Valley
Mount Vernon Avenue SW – Fulton to Pearl
Newark Avenue SE – Elliott to Johnston
North Avenue NE– Leonard to Page
Norwood Ave SE – Wealthy to Robinson
Palace Avenue SW – Burton to Griggs
Paris Avenue SE – Franklin to Thomas
Pine Avenue NW – Third to Fourth
Pleasant Street SW – Grandville to Century
Powers Avenue NW/Arianna Street NW intersection
Prince Street SE – College to Union
Ramona Street SE – Kalamazoo to Silver Creek
Quarry Avenue NW – Crosby to Webster
Quigley Boulevard SW – Division to Buchanan
Richmond Street NW – Walker to Bristol
Ridgewood Avenue SE – Hampshire to north end
Rosewood Avenue SE – Batchawana to Shangri-La
Shamrock Street SW – Grandville to Hall connector
Shangri-La Drive SE – Kalamazoo to Dawes
Spring Avenue NE – Malta to Capen
Spring Avenue NE – Maybelle to Short
Sylvan Avenue SE – Griggs to Boston
Tamarack Avenue NW – Walker to Eleventh
Towner Avenue SW – Burton to Kirtland
Trail Drive NW – Trailside Court to Hillburn
Trowbridge Street NE – Fairview to Clancy
Valley Avenue NW – Lake Michigan to Bridge
Whispering Way Drive SE – East Paris to private street
Will Avenue NW – Ann to Nason

The City has completed preventative maintenance and reconstruction on 427 miles of streets since 2014 as part of its Vital Streets initiative. Grand Rapids has gone from 37 percent of streets in good or fair condition to 61 percent thanks to the Vital Streets program. In addition, the City has inspected and repaired roughly 30 percent of the 890-mile sidewalk network.

Vital Streets projects are backed by a 2014 voter-approved plan that extended a local income tax levy for 15 years. Vital Streets investment, along with a road funding commitment by the State of Michigan, ensures 70 percent of Grand Rapids city streets reach fair to good condition within 15 years.

The repair and replacement of sidewalks throughout Grand Rapids neighborhoods are an important part of the Vital Streets program. This summer, the City will:

Invest $450,000 in the installation of sidewalks on Plainfield Avenue NE from I-96 to the city limits at Salerno. The total Vital Streets investment is $909,391.
Dedicate $250,000 for American Disabilities Act-compliant ramp improvements on sidewalks across the city
Reserve $580,000 to address miscellaneous sidewalk repairs and requests
Focus on systematic sidewalk inspection and repairs totaling $900,000 – $300,000 in each ward – as part of an effort to upgrade complete neighborhoods and improve the existing sidewalk network. Current conditions of sidewalks will dictate how many miles can be inspected and repaired in each ward. The 2020 contract areas are outlined below.

First Ward – Work is being done in the West Grand Neighborhood through the end of the month. Sidewalk repairs are taking place in the general area bounded by north city limits, Leonard Street NW, Alpine Avenue and the Grand River.

Second Ward – Work will be done in the Highland Park neighborhood. Sidewalk repairs will be within the general area bounded by Leonard Street NE, College Avenue, Eastern Avenue, Diamond Avenue and I-196. Work is scheduled for September through November.

Third Ward – Work will be done in the South East Community and Heritage Hill neighborhoods. Sidewalk repairs will be within the general area bounded by Franklin Street SE, Hall Street, Jefferson Avenue and Eastern Avenue. Work is scheduled for July through August.

City inspectors will be in each neighborhood marking out the sidewalks to be replaced. Properties that have sidewalk repairs in sections that cross through their driveways will get 48-hour notice posted to their property informing of them of the upcoming work and expected duration the driveway will be unavailable. The duration of work in front of any home will average one week, which includes removal, forming of sidewalks, pouring of concrete and restoration of lawns.

Updates on all of the City’s Vital Streets projects are available HERE or by calling 311 or 616.456.3000.

Original source can be found here.