The East Front Street/Grandview Parkway project is officially scheduled for its first week of construction. Construction progressed rapidly during the first week, with crews working around the clock, but construction was not without problems, including traffic backups, a significant drop in business revenue, water service interruptions, and even damage to building walls. was not without its problems. ticker In addition to a Week 1 recap and Week 2 outlook, we also have news about the TART trail reconstruction planned in the same corridor and upcoming construction projects that could impact local detours. Masu.
Latest construction/business information
Team Elmer's – the construction company hired by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to lead the $24.7 million Grandview Parkway/East Front Street reconstruction – will be working with workers during the first week is stationed on-site 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Crews were working on Segment 1 of East Front Street between Garfield Avenue and Grandview Parkway, and from Garfield north to Peninsula Drive. Crews implemented temporary traffic control measures, mobilized equipment, and removed the asphalt surface, underlying concrete pavement, and sidewalks. “Our team did a phenomenal job working around the clock to complete the demolition and begin the installation of the safety shoring,” said Nick Broad, Elmer’s project manager for the team. Masu.
Several business owners also posted on social media this week praising Team Elmers, saying the crew was friendly and working hard to make progress. Still, as is inevitable with any major construction project involving decades-old infrastructure, problems arose. Traverse Bay Cafe was unable to open Thursday due to water pressure issues, the restaurant posted on Facebook. Team Elmar's Tonya Wildfong acknowledged that “a temporary interruption of service occurred while the safety shoring was being installed,” but that crews “worked to restore service as quickly as possible.” The restaurant reopened on Friday.
At The Blue Goat, sidewalk removal work in front of the building destabilized the foundation wall, causing it to partially settle and cracking in the exterior plaster on the side of the building. Business owner Sebastien Garbusch said it appears that when the sidewalk was repaired in the past, concrete was poured directly into the building. Ripping up that sidewalk created destabilization. Team Elmers assisted with temporary reinforcement of the basement to ensure the building was safe for use and protected during further construction. Gerbusch said long-term repairs will need to be worked out in collaboration with the building owner, contractor and insurance company.
The damage was one of several hurdles The Blue Goat faces this week. Peninsula Drive was slated to be open to two-way traffic as far as The Blue Goat, providing rear access to the shopping district along the line, but a No Trespassing sign blocking traffic east of the Mutual gas station was installed, blocking traffic to the west. Reach the blue goat. Although it was ultimately postponed to midweek to provide two-way access for vehicles, The Blue Goat, along with other businesses in the construction zone, are still being hit hard. According to Garbsch, in the first few days sales dropped by 80%. Many businesses in the campus plaza (using Milliken, Fair, and East Front) posted directions and appealed to customers for continued visits. “We need your support,” Benjamin Twiggs wrote on Facebook, sharing a photo of an empty Campus Plaza parking lot. “This is not normal. There's no way this could last three months.”
Businesses are trying to get creative, posting personalized detour maps to their locations, encouraging online and gift card purchases, offering delivery or curbside pickup, and encouraging a collaborative spirit of mutual support. Share each other's social media posts. Gerbusch said he plans to create a time-lapse video of driving around the detour to show how quickly and easily businesses in the construction zone can be reached. “Businesses have already lost a significant amount of money during this period…if they lose twice that amount, they won't get it back,” he says. “While it may actually be cheaper to close completely than to remain open, we have employees we want to support. This is their full-time job, not a fun side hustle. In the long run, it's going to be great, we just have to get through the next couple of months.”
During the second week, crews will focus on replacing underground infrastructure, including replacing storm drains and water mains along Garfield Street and sanitary sewer and storm drains east of Barlow Street. Work on Marchy Bridge will also continue. In addition to major detours, motorists should be prepared for intermittent closures of Barlow Street and the possibility of intermittent traffic congestion at the March Bridge. This week, we'll focus on “installing all the things you don't see and take for granted when you brush your teeth or flush the toilet under running water,” Wildfong says. Additional signage and rumble strips will be installed at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Milliken Drive, which will be closed during construction, the city of Traverse City said. The city also plans to encourage the installation of speed bumps along Sheridan Road between Center Road and Eastern Avenue to reduce vehicle speeds.
Weather permitting and if crews maintain the current pace, Wildfong said East Front Access between Peninsula Drive and Garfield Avenue will reopen in late May and traffic will be cleared once crews finish the corridor. will move to the south side of the road. All of Segment 1 is expected to be completed in time for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. There will be a break for the festival, then construction will begin on Segment 2 of Grandview Parkway from the East Front to Division (one lane will be open in each direction).
TART Trail Reconstruction
City commissioners are expected to vote Monday to abandon the competitive bidding process for rebuilding the TART Trail downtown and instead enter into direct negotiations with Team Elmer's to do the work. The motion requires five votes in favor, after which the contract will go to committee for approval in April. The city will replace and widen the TART Trail from the west side of Marchie Bridge to Clinch Park and eastbound from the west side of Sunset Park through the Traverse City Senior Center, as well as the Grandview Parkway. Plans call for a new trail to be built on the south side from Division Street to Clinch Park. Hall Street along Bay Street.
City Engineer Anne Pagano and design and engineering firm Progressive AE recommended that Team Elmers be awarded the project alone, as it is already responsible for road reconstruction. This will save on mobilization and traffic control costs, eliminate staging and communication conflicts with second contractors, and shorten project schedules, according to the Pagano and Progressive AE memo. According to Progressive AE, the same worker working on the road can “complete a portion of his TART trail within the same zone.” “This should reduce costs for subcontractors and lead to cost savings for both projects.” Pagano said that rather than incurring additional road closures for trail construction in the future, trail and road closures He said timing is also important to ensure construction takes place at the same time.
Other upcoming construction projects
Two other large construction projects are scheduled to begin soon in Traverse City that could impact local traffic flow. Team Elmer's, which is contracted by the City of Traverse City, will begin a complete reconstruction of the Union/Eighth intersection downtown on April 1st. The work was part of a package bid with Cass/Ace Reconstruction last fall, but was not awarded. Must be completed in line with other intersections. Weather permitting, it should be completed by the end of April. The intersection will be closed to vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Access to all businesses and residences, as well as the Old Town parking deck, will be maintained.
The Grand Traverse County Road Commission also plans to begin construction of a roundabout at the Garfeed/Potter intersection at the end of April. Construction is scheduled to begin on April 22nd and continue until June 25th. During this time, the intersection will be completely closed to traffic. A detour will be in place using Three Mile Road and Hammond Road.
