BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR
Screw trees budding, flowers blooming and warmth stealing over the land. In spring what road workers’ fancy turns to is asphalt plans reopening.
To that end, Douglas plans to button up its $573,378.25 streets renovation project started last fall beginning this week, weather depending, repaving Blue Star Highway from Center Street to the Kalamazoo River bridge and relocating the guardrail at Blue Star and Union Street.
Miss Dig was slated to be on site Monday. Starting Friday, April 22, the city expects traffic control signage marking detour routes to be delivered, begin excavating and guardrail removal.
On Thursday and Friday, April 28 and 29, concrete will be poured for the new curb and sidewalk ramps.
Contractor Michigan Paving Materials Co. of Comstock Park will close Blue Star for milling May 3 then paving May 4, reopening it both evenings after its work is through.
Blue Star will be striped starting May 5. Completing topsoil and seeding restoration will be last.
Driveway access for residents in the construction zones, Douglas officials apprise us, will be maintained throughout the project, though there may be periods when a side street, alley, or driveway is temporarily made inaccessible by construction operations.
Drivers are asked to follow marked detour routes and posted speeds. Parcel delivery services will be allowed to complete deliveries when feasible.
Trash and recycling pickup times will continue as usual during construction.
Road construction is an inconvenience, city officials said, but the contractor will do its best to minimize traffic conflicts and provide access to local residents. If you have questions, contact city hall at (269) 857-1438, email Jenny Pearson at douglas@douglasmi.gov , or call the city engineer Nate Williams at (517) 375-3733.