Tecumseh Road Construction Project
June 18, 2010

            The bid was awarded to Barrett Paving Materials of Ypsilanti with the excavation work subcontracted to C & D Hughes of Charlotte.  The work is scheduled to start in late June after the contract documents are finalized.  The plan is to shift both lanes of traffic to the east side of the road so the contractor can temporarily widen the road with pavement.  Traffic will then be shifted to the west side of the road so they can work on the east lanes.  On the east half of the street the contractor will mill down the asphalt, remove the curb and concrete road base, and install new asphalt base.  The contractor will then switch traffic to the east side so they can work on the west half of the street. The contractor will also remove and replace some water and sewer mains as they work on each side of the roadway.  

            The contractor would like to have most of the improvements from Michigan Avenue to Clark Street completed prior to the start of school.  If everything goes smoothly, that section of roadway will be substantially completed except for the final two inches of pavement.   The contractor hopes to finish the project late this fall if they do not run into too many complications, do not have too many weather related delays, and can keep the crews working long days and a lot of Saturdays.  The project will move quicker if drivers can find alternate routes during construction.  That will help the contractor complete the project in a more timely manner and reduce traffic congestion for property owners along the route.

            Tecumseh Road will be constructed a little wider so that a center turn lane can be installed on the two lane portion of the road from Michigan Avenue south to Gibson Street. In order to reduce speeding south of Gibson Street on the four lane portion of the road, the street will be marked for three lanes.  This should help reduce speeding along that section of roadway.