By Michael Piwowarski
MIDLAND – A major reconstruction project on Eastman Avenue and Cambridge Street in Midland is getting ready to move forward.
Eastman Avenue has faced traffic congestion problems for more than a decade, particularly in the stretch in front of the Midland Mall from Wackerly Street to Joe Mann Boulevard. City engineer Joshua Fredrickson says that traffic conditions in that area have been looked at since 2005, when they commissioned DLZ to perform a traffic study.
“The scope of the project includes the preferred alternative solution presented by DLZ from 2006 which is the construction of a dedicated right turn lane for southbound Eastman Avenue at Airport Road,” Fredrickson said in a report to the city manager. “An additional southbound through lane will also be added for a segment north of Airport Road.”
In addition to this, the project calls for resurfacing Eastman entirely, from Wackerly to Joe Mann.
There is also work that needs to be done on Cambridge Street. Fredrickson states that the 36-inch water main underneath the street has had issues such as leaks and needed repairs.
The city is opting to replace the pipe by removing one lane of road on Cambridge. Based on the road’s overall condition, the city has decided to resurface the entire street as part of the project.
Although the project was put on hold in 2008 when the recession hit, it was brought back to the forefront in 2017 when DLZ performed a re-evaluation of traffic on Eastman.
The 2020 Eastman Avenue Reconstruction Project and Cambridge Street reconstruction require additional expenditures which need the council’s approval. On Feb. 24, a hearing regarding the allocation of funds to complete the project was set for the next city council meeting on Monday, March 16.
According to documentation provided in the Feb. 10 agenda packet, $750,000 in funding for water main replacement is already included in the 2019-2020 budget. An additional $220,000 is needed to include the street reconstruction.
Fredrickson stated in his memo to the city manager that funding currently allocated to reconstruction and improvement of Eastman Avenue is $1.1 million, and an additional $450,000 is needed in order to complete the project.
Fredrickson told the Collegiate that construction work is anticipated to occur this summer, once the amendments are approved.
