By WKTV Staff
The City of Kentwood has announced its tentative road construction and maintenance schedule for the summer.
The $3.02 million reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance program – approved by the City Commission – includes improvements to approximately 30 miles of major and local roads. Work is expected to begin in June and be completed by the end of October.
Planned street reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance projects include:
- Full reconstruction of Burton Street from East Paris Avenue to Patterson Avenue.
- Full reconstruction of Jefferson Avenue from 44th Street to Montebello Street.
- Other preventative street maintenance work throughout Kentwood, including routine street marking, crack sealing and patching.
Message boards on major streets will give drivers advance notice of when closures will begin.
“We’re grateful for the support of residents and local businesses as we work to improve and maintain this critical infrastructure,” Kentwood City Engineer Brad Boomstra said. “Quality roads are essential for public safety. Recognizing the disruption road construction can cause, crews will work hard to minimize impact on our community.”
The full reconstruction project on Burton Street will begin in July and include narrowing the existing roadway pavement for the construction of a new non-motorized trail on the north side of the street. In addition, the street will receive new concrete curb and gutter, new concrete driveway approaches and new asphalt pavement surface on the roadway.
For a majority of the project, Burton Street through traffic will be maintained in both directions. Eventually, eastbound traffic will be detoured from East Paris Avenue to Sparks Drive to Forest Hill Avenue and from East Paris Avenue to 28th Street to Patterson Avenue.
The Jefferson Avenue project will begin in June and include new concrete curb and gutter, new concrete sidewalks and driveway approaches, new asphalt pavement surface on the roadway, repairs to the storm sewer system and new watermain installation. During construction, Jefferson will remain open to residents and their visitors. While through traffic will be maintained with one lane, drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes to avoid traffic delays.
Property owners affected by the Burton, Jefferson and East Paris projects were informed by letter. Mail deliveries and trash pickups will not be disrupted.
Patching and crack sealing work will take place on several neighborhood streets in June to prepare them for cape sealing in August. Cape sealing is designed to create a smooth surface with increased durability. Cape seal projects take two non-consecutive days, with the cape seal treatment requiring up to a few hours to dry before being ready for traffic.
Homeowners in the neighborhoods where these projects will take place will be informed by letter. Residents are asked to drive slowly during the road work and follow the crew’s instructions for the best access to their homes. On-street parking will not be allowed during cape sealing.
Resurfacing of East Paris Avenue from 28th Street to 36th Street began in May. The Michigan Department of Transportation project includes new pavement. While there are intermittent lane closures, northbound traffic is being maintained throughout the project. Drivers traveling south are encouraged to seek an alternate route or follow the posted detour from 28th Street to Patterson Avenue to 36th Street. The work is scheduled to be completed in October.
The street reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance projects are funded through the Michigan Transportation Fund, which is supported by taxes on the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel as well as fees collected by the Secretary of State for vehicle registrations.
The City’s road maintenance decisions are made based on ratings from the annual Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating system, or PASER, as well as other data. PASER provides a basis for comparing the quality of roadway segments and uses a 1-10 rating system for road pavement conditions based on visual inspections.
Kentwood maintains one of the highest-rated major street networks in Kent County, according to data compiled by the Grand Valley Metro Council that is based on PASER ratings.
Last year, the city invested in improvements to 30 miles of major and local roads. Major streets included in the 2021 reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance program were:
- Andover, Lyles, Heyboer, Blaine, Brinks and 51st streets.
- 32nd Street from Breton Avenue to Shaffer Avenue.
For more information, including a map of street resurfacing and repairs, visit kentwood.us/construction. Drivers can subscribe to be notified when construction updates are added to the City’s website and also receive updates via Facebook and Twitter.
