City of Kentwood Announces Summer Road Projects
The City of Kentwood has released its tentative road construction and maintenance schedule for the summer.
The City Commission approved the resurfacing and maintenance program, which includes improvements to 40 miles of major and local roads, at a cost of $695,982. 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.
Pavement management decisions are made in accordance with industry principles based on hard data, such as the PASER ratings obtained each year. Kentwood maintains one of the highest-rated major street networks in Kent County according to data compiled by the Grand Valley Metro Council.
“We appreciate the patience of residents and businesses as we work to maintain and improve this important infrastructure, which is critical for a safe and functioning community,” said Kentwood City Engineer Brad Boomstra. “While we understand the short-term inconvenience of road construction can be frustrating, quality roads offer many benefits in the long run. Crews will work as quickly as possible to minimize impacts on commuters.”
Major streets scheduled for maintenance include:
- 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
Street resurfacing and maintenance projects currently underway include:
- 44th Street from Breton Avenue to Shaffer Avenue
- Reconstruction of Roger B. Chaffee Memorial Boulevard
- Other preventative street maintenance work throughout the City, including routine street marking, crack sealing and patching
A number of neighborhood roads will receive cape seal treatments in June and July. A cape seal 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, and no street parking will be available while the work occurs. Affected homeowners will be informed via direct mailing.
The City aims to have its resurfacing and routine maintenance completed by the end of September. Message boards on major streets will give commuters advance notice of when closures will begin. Commuters can also receive updates via the City’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter) and website.For more information, please visit the road construction webpage.