Crews spread a sand and cement mixture over Albion’s Superior Street on Monday, Sept. 9, as part of a joint-filling process designed to stabilize the bricks and extend their life. The material was sealed later in the week to protect against Michigan’s freeze-thaw cycles.
By MAGGIE LANOUE
Contributing Writer
Downtown Albion’s red brick Superior Street, a symbol of the city’s history and identity, has been closed to traffic this week while crews carried out a maintenance process designed to preserve its distinctive surface for years to come.
According to Nathan Takacs, a construction engineer with the MDOT, based in Marshall, the work focused on filling the joints between bricks with a mixture known as 2MS sand combined with cement. The material stabilizes the bricks, preventing them from shifting or eroding. “Starting tomorrow, the sand will be sealed in with StrongSeal WetLock,” Takacs explained in an email. “This further seals the joints to help prevent the bricks from freeze-thaw. The seal needs to dry before traffic can drive on it, which is why the road had to be closed down.”
Takacs added that the process should ideally be repeated every 10 years in communities that maintain brick streets. By locking the bricks in place and protecting the joints, the treatment extends the life of the roadway while preserving the look that makes Albion’s downtown unique.
Albion’s relationship with brick paving stretches back more than a century. Superior Street was first bricked in 1903, making it one of the early brick trunklines in Michigan. By 1940, the original surface had deteriorated, and a major Works Progress Administration project gave the street a new life. That reconstruction used a concrete base with new bricks on top, and even featured white bricks to mark crosswalks and parking spaces. The event was celebrated with a gala ribbon cutting and parade, reflecting how deeply the community valued its brick street.
In 1993, the bricks were replaced again with help from MDOT and the Federal Highway Administration. Local merchants rallied under the theme “Paving the Way for a Superior Future,” complete with storefront promotions and a special postal cancellation. The most recent complete rebricking came in 2017–2018, ensuring a strong foundation while retaining the historic character of Superior Street’s commercial district.
Today, Albion’s brick downtown is part of the Superior Street Commercial Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bricks complement the Italianate storefronts and historic facades lining the street, making them as much a cultural landmark as a functional roadway. Regular maintenance, like the work carried out this week, is essential for keeping that legacy intact. Without treatment, the joints between the bricks would deteriorate over time, allowing water to seep in and cause damage during Michigan’s harsh freeze-thaw cycles.
