Crews work Monday, Aug. 24, at Austin Avenue and North Eaton Street, where a new water main is being connected to one installed earlier this summer on North Eaton. Wightman project coordinator Brian Holleman said the vertical pipes visible in the excavation are used to fill and flush the new main. Albion One Stop Market, with its blue roof, remains open beside the construction.
By Maggie LaNoue, Contributing Writer
The Austin Avenue and North Eaton Street intersection is now fully under construction, with excavators, open trenches and barricades blocking one of Albion’s important routes between downtown and the west side of the city.
For residents looking at the torn-up streets, three practical questions may come to mind: How long will this take? Who is paying for it? And can customers still reach the businesses around the intersection?
The answers begin underground. Although the torn-up pavement makes the project look like road construction, much of the work and funding is for Albion’s water system. The city’s Capital Improvement Plan describes an approximately $24 million Water System Improvements Project that includes replacement of water mains, construction of a new 1-million-gallon water tower, improvements to the water treatment plant and replacement of lead service lines.
The largest funding component listed in the plan is $12.26 million through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The project also includes USDA Rural Development financing, as well as other grants and low-interest loans. Where water mains are replaced, the water project covers the replacement of one lane of roadway, while $3.5 million in Michigan Transportation Fund bonding covers the remaining lane, allowing the full roadway to be restored.
At Austin and Eaton, crews are working on a new water main that will connect with the main installed on North Eaton earlier this summer, according to Brian Holleman, PE, Wightman project coordinator.
Several pipes can be seen protruding from the excavation. Holleman said those pipes are used to fill and flush the new water main and are near the locations where connections will be made to the North Eaton main on both sides of Austin Avenue. The contractor will continue installing the new main east on Austin toward Superior Street.
Putting the pipe into the ground does not finish the job. Holleman said the new main must first pass a pressure test to make sure there are no leaks, followed by bacteriological testing to ensure it is safe to connect to the existing water system. The contractor will then connect the new main to the existing system and begin transferring individual water services to it.
Meanwhile, the businesses around the construction remain open, although reaching them may require some flexibility.
Albion One Stop Market, immediately beside the excavation, is one of them. The owner said Monday that construction has hurt his business and some of his regular customers have stopped coming. “My favorite customers are not coming in right now,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the preferred route to the businesses may vary depending on the day due to the next steps in construction,” Holleman said by email. “What might work one day may not work the next because of the activity on the site.”
The scene is expected to get busier. Holleman said concrete trucks will be bringing materials as crews prepare to pour concrete base and curb and gutter on North Eaton north of Austin. Once that work is completed, crews will move to North Eaton south of Austin for curb and gutter work.
