Roadwork ahead: State Street, Barton Drive among Ann Arbor streets to get $3.6M facelift
This year's program consists of resurfacing parts of two major streets, State Street and Barton Drive, and repaving nine or more local streets, said Nick Hutchinson, interim manager of the city's project management unit.
Construction is scheduled to begin around April 15 and finish in October. A tentative time frame for construction is shown in the chart below.
City of Ann Arbor
Depot Street from Main to Carey was included as part of the original bid package, but it's not included now. Hutchinson said that has to do with storm sewer issues still being studied.
Other local streets, yet to be determined, will be substituted for Depot this year.
For all streets on the list, local access will be maintained throughout construction. On major streets, traffic lanes will be reduced to allow construction on half the street at any time.
For the project on State Street, traffic will be reduced to one lane in both directions and no detour will be used. And for the project on Barton Drive, westbound traffic will be maintained and eastbound traffic will be detoured.
This year's resurfacing program is reduced from last year when the city spent more than double the money to resurface more than three dozen streets. That was after the city had saved millions by securing state and federal grant funding for the East Stadium Boulevard bridges.
For more information, visit www.a2gov.org/RoadConstruction
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
Christopher Potter
Fri, Jul 26, 2013 : 5:12 p.m.
Obviously the Pontiac Trail of Barton Dr. is a disaster. But what's the necessity of resurfacing Barton all the way from PT to Plymouth Road? Barton is in perfectly good shape from Northside School to Plymouth, and preventing turns from Plymouth onto Barton from east and west seems a totally unnecessary inconvenience -- especially to Traver Crossing residents and home owners nearby. Chris Potter
Christopher Potter
Fri, Jul 26, 2013 : 5:14 p.m.
Excuse me: I meant to say "...the Pontiac Trail end of Barton Dr......" Sorry about that! Chris Potter
Irwin Daniels
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 2:45 p.m.
What about the upper part of Geddes Ave (near the arb)? Just before the snow started they had road crews doing the site survey.
Jack
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 1:20 a.m.
This is an absolutely pitiful showing. The City's faces should be crimson. But they're probably patting each other on the back. I'm absolutely disgusted.
John
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 11:27 p.m.
Which city/municipality is responsible for the stretch of Carpenter between Washtenaw and Packard? That stretch of road needed fixing 6 years ago.
Basic Bob
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 3:51 a.m.
washtenaw county road commission, delayed to 2014
L2theP
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 9:14 p.m.
Serenity now! That stretch on Barton is so bad, that it's not worth calling in the potholes bc they comprise the entire street. Glad they are repaving!
bluetonguedlizard
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 9:58 p.m.
I agree, the one good thing with the current set up is it is making folks slow down :-)
jns131
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 9:12 p.m.
Are they planning on repaving the piece of Stadium they missed? Namely Main Street to the bridge, east bound. There is a dip that is a killer.
a2scio
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 9:01 p.m.
Any information available on scheduled roadwork outside the city (e.g. in the surrounding townships)? Is there a key to explain the colors on the map?
Elijah Shalis
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8:54 p.m.
I don't see Stone School on the list but it is badly needed.
racerx
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 3:06 a.m.
Not in the correct politically part of town. And it's been really bad for years.
J. A. Pieper
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 1:04 a.m.
Stone School Road has become a major cut through for traffic wanting to go North/South and avoid the heavier traffic on State Street and also Carpenter. It is in terrible condition from Eisenhower to Ellsworth, they need to lower the speed limit there until it is fixed!
Ann English
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 11:43 p.m.
I agree. You would think that ANY road over a freeway would be a priority on such a list. Look at all the housing on it between Ellsworth and Eisenhower. It isn't prone to flooding like the neighborhood from Champagne to Shadowood, but more of us may try going through that neighborhood to dodge the rough places on Stone School Road. The cops know how bad it is; more than once in the past two weeks, I've seen a traffic control police car opposite Stone School Circle.
Griffin
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8:39 p.m.
Stadium by the bridge and Jackson from downtown to Maple, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
Frustrated in A2
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 2:11 a.m.
Jackson Ave from the split to Maple will be done next year when the state will narrow it down to 1 lane in each direction with the center turn lane. Sigh...
Jack
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 1:19 a.m.
Jackson is just awful.
barefootdave
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8:57 p.m.
Stadium after the bridge was closed to thru traffic for how long, and they left it like that. Come on people work smarter not harder.
Karma21
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8:06 p.m.
Not enough, more roads need to be repaved. Otherwise the City should pay me back for the the new shocks, tires, and the bent Rim replacement that I had to put on my car (way before they should have been needed). Plus every visitor I have met that comes to Ann Arbor has made a comment on how bad the roads are this year. It's a real problem, and not just our usual high expectations.
KJMClark
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8:03 p.m.
The depressing thing about Barton is that pavement failed because the last contractor did a lousy job of the driving course. The base was probably OK, but I recall talking to a city engineer about the driving course, which wasn't *nearly* dense/packed enough. It looked like they were trying to use a no-fines asphalt or something. It was really porous. I hope the city was able to fine that contractor or something, because the road surface lasted about half as long as it should have. It'll be nice to have it usable again.
bluetonguedlizard
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 10 p.m.
thanks for this info, I have been wondering what was going on.
IjustWorkHere
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8 p.m.
I've looked everywhere on the map for Eisenhower and State Street - its gone? What happened to Packard, it isn't where it was before. Now it runs along Briarwood? If this is the work of the Barrett Paving Materials I'd think twice about using their services.
IjustWorkHere
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 7:21 p.m.
Basic Bob - thank you for the directions, I drive State Street to Packard everyday to work. Ann English, thank you for your sarcasms yes it was very easy to find Briarwood Mall next to Eisenhower, oh excuse me, Packard now according to the map supplied. It amazes me to read so many remarks about how poor the A2 govt isn't doing a good job yet, I could be mistaken, you will take the mediocre map work and possibly the poor quality work of the company who will be resurfacing the roads. But then further down the road, excuse the pun, what else would you have to complain about.
Ann English
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 11:36 p.m.
It sounds like you have no problem spotting Briarwood Circle, which runs around in a rough ellipse, just south of Eisenhower. The resurfacing work on State Street just to the northeast is marked in green. I know, it isn't a Google map, but does show where Barrett Paving Materials will be working. I can't find Broadway on the map, but it isn't on Barrett's list of roads to work on, either. I'm impressed that the VERY short dead-end street Hiawatha appears on it, accessible only by Barton Drive, which took some searching for. Packard Road, like Washtenaw Avenue, really stands out among the other roads on the map, because, west of its end at Eisenhower, it runs northwest.
Basic Bob
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8:05 p.m.
if you are driving west on packard and go straight, you are on eisenhower in front of the mall. you have to turn right to continue on packard to downtown. i think barrett has a more detailed map
Ann English
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 7:54 p.m.
Good idea to detour all the eastbound traffic on Barton Drive, for the Hiawatha Street residents; they can take Barton Drive home and face no oncoming traffic as they turn left onto Hiawatha.
Ryan J. Stanton
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 7:10 p.m.
Madison and Miller are among the complete reconstruction projects expected this year. That's a separate list (I'll try to pull that up). This here is a new and separate list of resurfacing projects, which means they're getting a fresh coat of pavement but not reconstruction. Hope that clarifies things. We'll report more on some of the major projects as they're coming up.
Ryan J. Stanton
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8:09 p.m.
That link also is at the bottom of the story.
Ryan J. Stanton
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8:08 p.m.
http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/project_management/Pages/RoadConstruction.aspx
David Frye
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 7:53 p.m.
I don't know what the technical conditions would be, but from the non-technical point of view of a daily traveler on Madison (by car, bike, and foot), it is more of a gravel path now than a paved road.
yohan
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 7:50 p.m.
Ryan, It would be nice to have a complete list of all streets that are going to be worked on.
brimble
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 7:48 p.m.
From a technical standpoint, what conditions merit a complete reconstruction versus a resurfacing? What is the difference in cost between the two? Why could, as an example, Stadium between the bridges and S. 7th not receive a resurfacing? (Okay, why did that not happen 10 years ago?)
Mac
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 7:08 p.m.
The city needs to fix E. Stadium right in front of the Big House. They built this beautiful bridge that is almost the gateway to the Big House if you are heading west. Then, all of a sudden, once you are off the bridge, it is ALL potholes!!
Jack
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 1:17 a.m.
2016. To wait to see if they can get a handout. Fix it now. They never fixed Jackson/Maple intersection after they repaved Stadium/Maple, either. They said they would, but they didn't. It's just a mess of potholes and ruts.
Pat
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 8:01 p.m.
I agree! I can't believe they didn't fix that part too when the built the bridge. In fact, I think the road across bridge seems a little "bumpy". . My thought is that perhaps this was done on purpose so that when you reach the part right at the end of the bridge and by the Big House you don't notice how awful it is! Scheduled for 2016 --really!?
Ryan J. Stanton
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 7:31 p.m.
I hear you. They're holding off until 2016 in anticipation of federal funding, but I know a lot of people like yourself who'd love to see it fixed now.
Bcar
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 7:04 p.m.
how about miller??? anyone drive on miller lately?
Hmm
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 11:43 a.m.
It's atrocious once you start going up or down the hilly part on the west side of 7th. Real bad condition there
racerx
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 3:04 a.m.
The bike lanes are pretty smooth!
5c0++ H4d13y
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 1:54 a.m.
There are sings up saying it will close soon. The Ann Arbor City project page hasn't been updated in a while. :-/
kef
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 6:40 p.m.
what happened to Madison?
GratefulReb
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 6:15 p.m.
Virtually all of the entry points to the city are an embarrassment. North Main off M14 is absolutely ridiculous - nothing says welcome to A2 like the graffiti riddled structure on the corner of main and summit. Couple that with the party store and boarded up housing and you've got yourself a real reason to spend money in our town. Yet the mayor and city council continue to receive a free pass.
GratefulReb
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 2:19 p.m.
i'm not a teetotaler by any stretch and have no objections to party stores. But the building is ugly and old and needs a face lift.
Hmm
Wed, Apr 3, 2013 : 11:42 a.m.
Not that I disagree with you on the graffiti boarded up houses, but what does the party store have to do with making Ann Arbor look bad? A business is a good thing or would you rather see that corner completely empty?
CynicA2
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 5:47 p.m.
3.6 million?!?! For something as lacking as street repairs in this town?? That is another example of Hieftje administration criminality and corruption. Clearly, based on need, we should be spending THREE times that annually, minimum! The Hurinal & Phallus in front of the new city hall cost about 1/3 of that amount, and it wouldn't surprise anyone if those crooks in Hieftje Hall spent more on public art last year than they did on road repairs. Where is the FBI and its corruption team when we need them. I would pay to see Kwame Hieftje in leg-irons and an orange jumpsuit!
ordmad
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 6:22 p.m.
Crazytown
L. C. Burgundy
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 5 p.m.
State St. from Eisenhower to I-94 really needs to be on the list too. The badly dilapidated condition of that road is an embarrassment to the city as it's a major entry point for visitors. It's pretty depressing that the first impression people draw from Ann Arbor is based on two interchange and interchange areas that are in terrible condition (State St. and Ann Arbor-Saline).
AAW
Tue, Apr 2, 2013 : 7:48 p.m.
round about is scheduled at State and Ellsworth to start sometime in May