$3.6M resurfacing project on East Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor to start in May

The project includes replacement of the underground water mains between Packard Road and Brockman Boulevard, and subsequent resurfacing of East Stadium Boulevard from Packard Road to Washtenaw Avenue.

The total project is estimated to cost $3.6 million, of which $1.4 million will be funded by the city's water fund and $2.2 million will come from the street millage capital budget.

Homayoon Pirooz, head of the city's project management unit, said the project could start in a few weeks and finish by September. He said the pavement condition along that stretch of East Stadium Boulevard is rapidly deteriorating and it's time to resurface the street.

The resurfacing project comes as work continues on rebuilding the nearby Stadium Boulevard bridges that pass over State Street and the adjacent train tracks. Packard Road also is under construction through August from Platt Road to US-23.

A fifth public information sharing meeting on the Stadium bridges replacement project takes place from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Shelter Annex at Burns Park, 1200 Baldwin Ave.

The project is expected to continue through the end of this year and Stadium Boulevard remains closed in the vicinity of the construction with the bridge out.

Michael Nearing, the city's senior project manager, said the reconstruction of State Street from north of Henry Street to north of Rose also will start April 30 and last through mid-July.

Northbound traffic on State Street will be detoured, while southbound traffic will shift to the east side of the road through June 5 while the west half of the street is reconstructed.

Starting June 6, the east half of the street will be reconstructed while southbound traffic shifts to the west side of the road and northbound traffic remains detoured. State Street is scheduled to open to northbound and southbound traffic on July 12.

The council also voted 11-0 Monday night to approve a $50,185 contract with Inspection Services Co. for construction materials testing services on the Stadium Boulevard project.

The city held a meeting with neighbors at Tappan Middle School on Jan. 12 to present the proposed project design. Twelve members of the public attended.

Some members of the public asked for alternative designs, narrowing of the street and reducing the number of the traffic lanes permanently from five to four.

Pirooz said street resurfacing projects present an opportunity for the city to review traffic lane widths and consider adding bicycle lanes.

But he said the traffic volume on East Stadium Boulevard is about 22,000 vehicles per day and that requires the city to maintain the current street width and the existing five lanes.

Pirooz said there are two water mains in poor condition that must be replaced as part of the proejct — a 6-inch main on the south side of the street and a 6-inch main on the north side of the street. He said they will be replaced with about 5,500 feet of new 8-inch mains.

During the installation of the water mains, two traffic lanes will be under construction and three traffic lanes will remain open to traffic.

Pirooz said the street resurfacing project will include the installation of new ADA-compliant ramps along the corridor and two or three lanes of traffic will be maintained during those phases of the project.

Because there are no marked pedestrian crossings for more than 2,600 feet between Brockman and Packard, Pirooz said the city has designed new crosswalks with Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons east of Baldwin Avenue and east of Ferdon Road.

Dan's Excavating was the lowest of five bidders on the project, coming in $300,000 less than the engineer's estimate.