Jefferson, Boltwood and Michigan streets in Hastings will get structural improvements this construction season, the next phase of a four-year capital improvement plan begun last year with the upgrading of Court and Church streets.
Jefferson from Apple to Green, Michigan from Apple to Court and Boltwood from State to Green are the areas to be improved.
Department of Public Services Director Lee Hays said work has already begun on projects scheduled from now until June 30. Earthwork, curb gutter and sidewalk work on all three streets is expected to be completed by early June. Milling 1 ½ inches of surface from the streets and resurfacing is set for the last three weeks of June, according to the schedule submitted to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
“The milling and resurfacing will extend the life of the streets and maximize the impact of the money,” City Manager Jeff Mansfield said. “The best way is to reconstruct them, but unfortunately, that’s too expensive.”
Funding for the four year improvements comes from Michigan Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration grants, with matching funds from the city.
“With the proposed MDOT grant through 2020, the City of Hastings is scheduled to receive $612,496 in federal grants. With our local match for the projects, engineering (design and construction) and three years of downtown resurfacings, the City will have a total of $427,946 invested into the improvements,” Hays said.
He is working with Consumers Energy to assure needed replacements of utilities will be done before any resurfacing. Consumers is now replacing an aging gas main on Boltwood and Michigan ahead of the MDOT project, he said.
Mansfield said residents may wonder why crews are tearing up curbs that look fine. “A requirement of the federal grant is making curbs and gutters conform to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), so crews will be reworking several curbs, with widening and sloping ramps for ease of maneuvering and improved painting for the visually impaired.” ADA ramp improvements will be at Jefferson, Michigan and Boltwood streets.
Also this year, crack sealing will be applied to Court and Church streets between Broadway and Jefferson, and State and Center.
“The crack sealing will cure for around a year, and then next year we will chip and fog seal the streets. The end result will be a street that looks freshly paved and the fog seal greatly extends the life of the street and chip seal,” Hays said.
During the annual Jazz Festival April 26-29, work will be done only north of the bridge on Michigan and during the Barry Roubaix bike race April 21 there will be no work on Boltwood.
