By K.D. Norris
The City of Kentwood this week released its tentative road construction and maintenance schedule for the rest of the summer, a schedule which affected homeowners have already been notified of by mail from the city.
The City Commission has approved the resurfacing and maintenance program, which includes improvements to 30 miles of major and local roads, at a cost of $1 million, according to an announcement from the city. The plan is to have the resurfacing and routine maintenance completed by September. (A detailed map is available for download at bottom of story.)
“We appreciate the partnership of residents and businesses as we work to maintain and improve this important infrastructure,” Kentwood City Engineer Brad Boomstra said in supplied material. “Quality infrastructure is critical for a safe and functioning community. Understanding the inconvenience and frustration road construction can cause, crews will work as quickly as possible to minimize impact on neighborhoods and drivers.”
The 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.
Details of the planned work
In July and August, several neighborhood roads will receive a cape seal, which is a multiple component treatment designed to create a smooth surface with increased durability. Cape seal projects will take two non-consecutive days on each segment of road. Patching and crack sealing work will take place in advance to prepare the road for this treatment.
Residents are asked to drive slowly while the treatments are underway and follow the crew’s instructions for the best access to their homes. While the cape seal treatment is underway, there will be no parking allowed on the streets when and where any road work is happening.
Street reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance projects currently underway include:
Full reconstruction of Andover, Lyles, Heyboer, Blaine, Brinks and 51st streets.
32nd Street rehabilitation from Breton Avenue to Shaffer Avenue.
Other preventative street maintenance work throughout Kentwood, including routine street marking, crack sealing and patching.
Pending any unforeseen circumstances, the work on Andover, Lyles, Heyboer, Blaine, Brinks and 51st streets is expected to be completed by October. The full reconstruction project includes new curb and gutter, sections of water main replacement, storm sewer replacement and construction of sidewalks.
The 32nd Street rehabilitation is a Michigan Department of Transportation project that includes new pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk and storm sewer. Drivers are encouraged to seek an alternate route or follow the posted detour that uses 29th Street. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of August.
Work builds on major roadwork in 2020
Last year, Kentwood invested in improvements to 40 miles of major and local roads. Major streets included in the 2020 reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance program were, East Paris Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street, 52nd Street from Division Avenue to Kellogg Woods Drive, 29th Street from west city limits near Breton Avenue to 28th Street, 44th Street from Breton Avenue to Shaffer Avenue, and reconstruction of Roger B. Chaffee Memorial Boulevard.
Road maintenance decisions are made under industry principles based on hard data, such as ratings from the annual Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating system, also known as PASER, which provides a basis for comparing the quality of roadway segments, according to the city announcement. The PASER scale is a 1-10 rating system for road pavement conditions that uses visual inspection to evaluate pavement surface conditions.
“Kentwood maintains one of the highest-rated major street networks in Kent County, according to hard data compiled by the Grand Valley Metro Council, which is based on PASER ratings,” according to the announcement.
For more information, including a larger map of street resurfacing and repairs, visit kentwood.us/construction. Drivers can also receive updates via the City’s Facebook and Twitter.
