City officials rush to complete last phase of Caniff reconstruction

Have patience folks. The last phase of reconstructing Caniff, from Jos. Campau to Conant, is expected to be completed by mid-December, or so, fingers crossed. Once this is done, say goodbye to the potholes.

By Charles Sercombe
The headaches and frustration have begun.
The last phase of the Caniff reconstruction began last week, and it has already ticked off motorists and businesses alike where the project is taking place, which is from Jos. Campau to Gallagher.
On the plus side, this section should be completed within several weeks, and city officials say they will try to keep one lane open while the opposite lane is being repaved.
Once this section is completed, the project will start part two of this phase and shift over, still on Caniff, from Gallagher to Conant.
It is hoped that the total project will be completed by sometime in December, fingers crossed. If it goes longer into the month and temperatures go below 34 degrees – the minimum temperature to pour concrete – the city may be forced to wait for warmer weather to return.
If that delay were to happen, some businesses on Caniff would have to buckle up for a months-long disruption in their business.
Despite the urgency to beat the coming of cold weather, the city council decided to scrap the original plan proposed by the city’s engineer (and also recommended by City Manager Max Garbarino) to close both lanes down, in order to shave off two to three weeks.
Councilmember Khalil Refai insisted that the work be done one lane at a time so local businesses won’t be harmed. Otherwise, he said, it’s “going to make business owners call like crazy” with complaints.
But City Manager Garbarino stressed that “time is of the essence.”
Still, the council prevailed.
To help ease parking problems for businesses and their customers, the city opened an entrance to the city parking lot at Caniff and McDougal by building a ramp into the lot on McDougal, which can be approached by cutting through the Charest alley just north of Caniff.
You can also get into the lot from Mitchell through the alley also just north of Caniff.
There are no parking meter fees in the city parking lot during this construction period.
This leg of the repaving comes at a cost of $2 million, most of which came through federal funding that was administered by the state.
And that is where a hang-up occurred.
Back in July, John Hennessey, of Hennessy Engineers, said there was a delay in the starting date caused by the state’s Historic Preservation Office. This stretch of Caniff, he said, has historic buildings along it, and the Preservation Office had to make sure those wouldn’t be affected by the reconstruction.
He said that office has also held up other projects in other communities this year.
“The State of Michigan has completely roadblocked us, and it’s out of our control,” Hennessy said at the time.
After the state gave the green light to go ahead, the city had to bid out the project, which took additional time.
The overall project includes replacing ancient water and sewer lines that had been in place for decades.
The Caniff repaving project was done in three stages, which first started a few years ago. The initial part repaved was from the I-75 Service Dr. to Jos. Campau.
The next phase, which was completed last year, went from Conant to Buffalo.
Posted Oct. 11, 2024