Construction will be tying up local roads for the summer

New gas mains are being installed along Conant, which has caused traffic congestion. The work should be completed in two weeks, but there will be more construction work throughout the city in the months to come.

By Charles Sercombe
First there were potholes all over the city to dodge, and now, there is utility work being done on Conant.
You may have noticed that from about Casmere to Caniff there is one huge mess of construction and congestion on Conant.
If you’re not paying attention, you could easily find yourself nose first in a huge pit on the side of the road.
The work being done, said Mark Ragsdale, the Director of Public Works, is the replacement of gas mains by DTE Energy/MichCon.
Ragsdale said the city’s engineering firm is on site every day to “to protect the interest of the city and residents.”
Ragsdale said the work should be completed in about two weeks. But that’s not the end of it.
“This is part of a program, that has been going on for a couple of years now, and will continue throughout the construction season all over the city,” Ragsdale said.
As for the sidewalks that were removed during the project, Ragsdale said they should be replaced within two or three weeks.
In other road news, Jos. Campau is looking a little better these days, thanks to the city’s Downtown Development Authority.
The DDA had parking spaces and curb spaces receive a new coating of yellow paint for the entire length of Campau, from Carpenter to Hamtramck Dr.
Wayne County, which owns the road, will also repaint crosswalks and the center traffic lines.
The repainting cost the DDA $6,700, and it is just one of several improvement projects in the works, said Kathy Angerer, the Director of Community & Economic Development.
The DDA will be installing banners promoting local businesses and purchasing new garbage cans.
“It’s part of the ongoing project to spruce up the city,” Angerer said.