Construction work begins Monday in Ann Arbor on East Stadium
Previous story: $3.6M resurfacing project on East Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor to start in May
Beginning today through July 5, construction work on Ann Arbor's East Stadium Boulevard between Packard Road and Brockman Boulevard will limit traffic to one lane in each direction.
Pedestrian traffic will be maintained on both sides of East Stadium and authorities are cautioning drivers to reduce speed through the work zones.
The first phase of the East Stadium Improvement project will include the installation of new 8-inch water mains on the north side of the street and phase two will include installations along the south side of the street.
Phases three and four will resurface the pavement along the north and south sides of E. Stadium between Brockman and Washtenaw Avenue.
Comments
ChelseaBob
Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 12:17 p.m.
It seems like all the comments are hitting the same issue. Do they coordinate these construction projects? That would be a good subject for a story, because I have seen numerous instances where the detour ends up in construction with yet another detour.
Plubius
Tue, May 15, 2012 : 12:54 p.m.
The real issue is that these projects are contracted to shops which use union labor. As such, they have absolutely no incentive to complete the work in a timely manner. How often do you drive by one of these sites and see nothing happening? Ditch the union-only rule and financially incentive the contractors to finish the work in a timely manner. Any competent fool could complete the State St project, in total, in three months. The incompetent fools in A2 need more than one year.
Sooze
Tue, May 15, 2012 : 12:12 p.m.
Hey YpsiLivin: I hope they plan to improve the entrance from Washtenaw onto 23 heading north by Arborland. Semis coming thru in the "slow" lane do not/cannot move as I try to enter and I end up on the side, or people exiting and entering at the same time on that tiny bridge are always about to collide. At least there could be signs back a way on 23 saying "Thru Traffic Keep Left" as cars and trucks approach that small congested area.
brimble
Mon, May 14, 2012 : 5:35 p.m.
We can't have it both ways. If we want to grumble about how poorly paved and/or maintained the roads are -- and grumble, I do! -- then we can't complain too much when they are getting fixed. That said, it is remarkable how the confluence of multiple projects makes it genuinely unpleasant to try to get anywhere in Ann Arbor at the moment. It falls to the planning and the police departments to figure out how to move people efficiently through the especially high-traffic times like the Summer Festival, Art Fairs, UM Fall Move-In, and the early football games, to say nothing of rush hour on any given day.
YpsiLivin
Mon, May 14, 2012 : 3:49 p.m.
So I guess it won't make people very happy to hear that "interchange improvements" are planned to begin this month at Washtenaw Ave and US-23...
Sarah
Mon, May 14, 2012 : 3:29 p.m.
So, Packard from US-23 to Platt is down to one lane in each direction. Huron River Parkway is down to one lane (causing half mile + backups). Glen Ave is closed. East Stadium from Packard to Washtenaw is down to one lane. Glen traffic is being detoured on to Huron River. State Street traffic is being detoured on to East Stadium. Additionally, the city put up "road closed" signs on all the neighborhoods because they don't want us shortcutting through them to get anywhere in a decent time. Might as well hang up "go away" signs. Would be more accurate.
treetowncartel
Mon, May 14, 2012 : 3:04 p.m.
I was foiled by the simultaneous projects on Huron Parkway and Glen ave this saturday as I tried to make my way across the river and avoid the backup on Huron Parkway headed north and the US 23 periodic lane closures that occur on the weekends. I should have called Bertha and had her pick me up in hoveround.
Sarah
Mon, May 14, 2012 : 3:27 p.m.
Not only that, but the Glen Ave detour is to Huron, which is under construction! Who's thinking? Or, who isn't thinking and how do the rest of us get jobs like that?!
YpsiVeteran
Mon, May 14, 2012 : 2:48 p.m.
I don't live in Ann Arbor, but I had occasion to be downtown last week. I couldn't help but wonder about the competence (or, perhaps more accurately, overwhelming incompetence) of the individuals responsible for scheduling extensive construction on the established detour for the State St. situation. I tried to get downtown in the middle of the morning, and the traffic backups along the detour were just stupid. When I left, around 4, it took an hour and half to get from downtown, around State and Liberty, to Packard and Platt. If I was a downtown merchant, I'd be flaming mad and more than a little worried about staying in business this summer.
E09
Mon, May 14, 2012 : 2:45 p.m.
Where are we even supposed to drive anymore? I know that the traffic here is not nearly as bad as LA or NYC, but damn is there a lot of construction and traffic for a relatively small town.
a2cents
Mon, May 14, 2012 : 3:36 p.m.
A perfect opportunity to escape the cage and explore/use alternatives... it's not fun to be beset with panicked drivers careening through 'hoods they aren't familiar with .
Mike Hulsebus
Mon, May 14, 2012 : 2:37 p.m.
The sad thing is, I bet a lot of people were using this stretch of E. Stadium to get around the horrible traffic that Packard and Platt created. Now that detour has a detour.