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$42 million in Vital Streets and Sidewalk projects underway

Published on July 20, 2023

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – We are in the midst of its tenth season of ramped-up road construction, with a total investment of $42 million in street and sidewalk improvements throughout Grand Rapids this summer.

According to our Vital Streets Oversight Commission, the Vital Streets millage has allowed us to complete preventative maintenance and reconstruction of 557 miles of streets since 2014. This year, we are working on an additional 32 miles.

Vital Streets projects not only improve the streets and sidewalks for drivers, but they also concentrate on improving these spaces for pedestrians and cyclists. Last year, we added 1.95 miles of new bicycle facilities. We have also emphasized the increase of green infrastructure by adding over 375 street trees, and 4,267 square feet of bioswales. This year, we’re adding four more miles of bicycle facilities in addition to making changes to existing bicycle facilities for better signage and cyclist access.

Vital Streets projects are backed by a voter-approved plan in 2014 that extended a local income tax levy for 15 years. Vital Street investment, along with a road funding commitment by the State of Michigan, ensures that 70 percent of Grand Rapids city streets reach fair to good condition by 2030. Since 2014, Grand Rapids has gone from 37 percent of streets in good or fair condition to 61 percent thanks to the Vital Streets program.

Below is a partial list of 2023 road construction projects with no start dates set to date. Street projects, listed in alphabetical order, may be carried over to the next construction season. A partial list of street paving projects planned by the City’s Public Works Department also is included. Other locations may be added.

Sidewalk Repair

The repair and replacement of sidewalks throughout Grand Rapids neighborhoods are an important part of the Vital Streets program. The sidewalk program is focusing resources in a single Ward each year over three years to increase investment and total amount of sidewalk that can be inspected and repaired in a single construction season. In the 2023 construction season, City inspectors will be in the Third Ward marking out the sidewalks to be replaced. Next year, the First Ward will be prioritized and the third year the Second Ward will be prioritized.

Properties that have sidewalk repairs in sections that cross through their driveways will get 48-hour notice posted to their property informing of them of the upcoming work and expected duration the driveway will be unavailable. The duration of work in front of any home will average one week, which includes removal, forming of sidewalks, pouring of concrete and restoration of lawns.

First Ward – Will be prioritized for systematic sidewalk replacement in fiscal year 2025 (FY 2025).

Second Ward – Will be prioritized for systematic sidewalk replacement in fiscal year 2026 (FY 2026).

Third Ward – Will be prioritized this fiscal year (FY 2024). The contract will be partially in the Southeast End and Madison neighborhoods. Work is scheduled for May through October.

Updates on the City’s Vital Streets projects are available HERE or by calling 311 or 616.456.3000.

Rotomill and Resurfacings

5th Street – Pine Avenue to Stocking Avenue and McReynolds Avenue to Muskegon Avenue

Alexander Street - Gibson Place to Kalamazoo Avenue

Alto Avenue - Worden Street to Franklin Street

Ardmore Street - Kalamazoo Avenue to Giddings Avenue

Ardmore Street - Rosemont Avenue to Covington Drive

Atlantic Street - Van Buren Avenue to Powers Avenue

Auburn Avenue - Lake Drive to Fulton Street

Ball Avenue - Leonard Street to Knapp Street

Ball Avenue - Michigan Street to Plymouth Avenue

Benning Avenue - Laughlin Drive to City/Twp Line

Benson Avenue - Lydia Street to North End

Briar Hills Drive -South End to Aberdeen Street

Butterworth Street - O'Brien Road to Marion Avenue

College Avenue -South End to Russwood Street

Comstock Boulevard -Monique Drive to Paris Avenue

Covington Drive -Colton Drive to Ardmore Street

Crescent Street -Grand Avenue to Fuller Avenue

Cromwell Avenue -Hall Street to Humboldt Street

Davis Avenue -3rd Street to 4th Street

Deloney Ave SW -W Fulton St to Veto St NW

Dickinson Street -Kalamazoo Avenue to Giddings Avenue

Division Avenue - Quigley Street to Cottage Grove Street

Douglas Street -Straight Avenue to Lexington Avenue

East Paris Avenue - 28th Street to Burton Street

Eastern Avenue – 400’ South of 44th Street to 28th Street

Edington Drive - Granite Street to Breton Avenue and Granite Street - Breton Avenue to S. Edington Avenue

Fox Street - W. End to Buchanan Avenue

Fuller Avenue - Knapp Street to 3 Mile Road

Gilbert Street - Madison Avenue to Paris Avenue

Glen Echo Drive - Meadowbrook Street to North End

Grand Avenue - Hawthorne Street to Parkwood Street

Grove Bluff Court - Grove Bluff Drive to East End

Gunnison Avenue - Butterworth Street to Fulton Street

Helen Street - Diamond Avenue to Caroline Place

Houseman Avenue - Michigan Street to Hake Street

Hovey Street - Garfield Avenue to Gunnison Avenue

Indiana Avenue - Butterworth Street to California Street

Jackson Street - Lexington Avenue to Seward Avenue

Kenosha Drive -Division Avenue to Madison Avenue

Kentwood Street -Country Club Drive to Fuller Avenue

Knapp Street – Truxton Drive to East City Limits

Lafayette Avenue -Garden Street to Hall Street

Leffingwell Avenue – Leonard Street to North City Limits

Leonard Street – Powers Avenue to Alpine Avenue

Manton Street -WaldornAvenue to Edith Avenue

Mayhew Wood Drive -Eastern Avenue to Blaine Avenue

Meadowbrook Street -Glen Echo Drive to Mission Hills Drive

Michigan Street – Maryland Avenue to Leffingwell Avenue

Milwaukee Avenue -2nd Street to 4th Street

Morgan Street -West End to White Avenue

Mulford Street - Marshall Avenue to Aleda Avenue and Aleda Avenue - Mulford Street to Alger Street

Newark Avenue - Johnston Street to Orville Street

Northbend Drive - Aberdeen Street to Holmdene Avenue and Holmdene Avenue - Aberdeen Street to Northbend Drive

Omena Drive - Burton Street to Onaway Road

Paris Avenue - Griggs Street to Dickinson Street and 270' South of Oakdale Street to Adams Street

Park Street - Garfield Avenue to Straight Avenue

Park Street - John Ball Park Drive to Richards Avenue

Pine Avenue -Walker Avenue to 10th Street

Ridgewood Avenue -Hampshire Street to North End

Sibley Street -Lane Avenue to Seward Avenue

Sigsbee Street -Giddings Avenue to Ethel Avenue

Travis Street -80' E of Coit Avenue to Lafayette Avenue

Travis Street -Fuller Avenue to Auburn Avenue

Turner Avenue - 6th Street to US131 SB On Ramp and US131 SB Off Ramp to Richmond Street

Twin Lakes Avenue - Bradford Street to Michigan Street

Union Avenue - Comstock Boulevard to Conger Street

Watson Street -Garfield Avenue to Gunnison Avenue

Widdicomb Avenue -11th Street to 12th Street

Willard Avenue -Burton Street to Dickinson Street

Woodlawn Court - West End to Woodlawn Avenue

Woodmeadow Drive - Mulford Drive to Woodlawn Avenue

Woodrow Avenue - Bristol Avenue to Walker Avenue

Other road projects

Cesar E. Chavez Avenue – Beacon Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Street (water main, sewer separation, reconstruction)

Cesar E. Chavez Avenue – Clyde Park Avenue to Stolpe Street (water main, sewer separation, reconstruction) (2024)

Cesar E. Chavez Avenue – Stolpe Street to Hall Street (water main, sewer separation, reconstruction) (2024)

College Avenue - Leonard Street to Sweet Street (water main, reconstruction)

Division Avenue – Fulton Street to Michigan Street (water main, sewer, reconstruction)

Eastern Avenue – Burton Street to Ardmore Street (water main, reconstruction) (2024)

Eleanor Street - Plainfield Avenue to Diamond Avenue Emerald Avenue - Leonard Street to Sweet (water main, reconstruction)

Fremont Avenue - 3rd Street to 4th Street (water main, reconstruction)

Fuller Avenue - Kalamazoo Street to Adams Street (water main, rotomill/resurfacing) (2024)

Giddings Avenue – Burton Street to Boston Street (water main, reconstruction)

Jackson Street - Valley Avenue to Garfield Avenue and Lane Avenue to Jackson Place (water main, sanitary sewer, reconstruction)

Milton Street - Carlton Avenue to Norwood Avenue (reconstruction, lead water service replacement)

Norwich Avenue - Curve Street to Hayden Street (sewer separation, water main, reconstruction, resurfacing)

Ottawa Avenue - Newberry Street to Mason Street; Walbridge Street Ottawa to deadend (sewer separation, water main, reconstruction, resurfacing)

Ottawa Avenue/Coldbrook Street/Monroe Avenue Intersection (water main, reconstruction)

Page Street -West End to Carmen Avenue; Lister Court - West End to Plainfield Avenue; Plainfield Avenue - Leonard Street to Grove Street and Carrier Street - Plainfield Avenue to Lafayette Avenue (water main, reconstruction)

Robinson Road - Lake Drive to Plymouth Avenue (water main, reconstruction/rotomill/resurfacing) (2024)

State Street - Lafayette Avenue to Madison Avenue (water main, reconstruction)

Valley Avenue – Fulton Street to Bridge Street and Sibley Street – Valley Avenue to Garfield Avenue (water main, reconstruction)

Preventative Maintenance Bridges

Burton Street over CSX

Hall Street over CSX

Pearl Street over the Grand River

2023 Paving Projects

STREET	FROM	TO
10TH NW	BRISTOL	CALVARY
10TH NW	VALLEY	VAN BUREN
AMBERLY SE	KALAMAZOO	AMBERLY CT
ARBOR NE	EMERALD	HOUSEMAN
BALL NE	SERVICE	MASON
BALL NE	KNAPP	ABERDEEN
BALL PARK BLVD NW	SIBLEY	S DEAD END
BARNETT NE	COLLEGE	WEST DEAD END
BOSTON SE	PLYMOUTH	EAST CITY LIMITS
BROOKMOOR CT NE	BROOKMOOR	NORTH DEAD END
BROOKMOOR NE	PERKINS	BROOKMOOR CT
CAMELOT SE	CHARRING CROSS	CAMELOT CT
CENTENNIAL NW	SIBLEY	CAYUGA
CHAMBERLAIN SE	BURTON	GRIGGS
CHARLES SE	SHERMAN	THOMAS
COLDBROOK NE	EMERALD	HOUSEMAN
COLLEGE NE	MICHIGAN	FOUNTAIN
CORA NW	VAN BUREN	VALLEY
CURWOOD SE	RICHWOOD	POINTE O WOODS
DAWES SE	PLYMOUTH	N DEAD END
EASTRIDGE CT NE	EASTRIDGE	W DEAD END
EASTRIDGE NE	BRADFORD	S DEAD END
EASTVIEW CT NE	EASTVIEW	S DEAD END
EASTVIEW NE	EASTRIDGE	W DEAD END
ELLSMERE NE	PLAINFIELD	FULLER
EVELYN NE	DIAMOND	FULLER
FAIRVIEW NE	NEWBERRY	TROWBRIDGE
FLORENCE NE	FORREST	FERN
FORLAND CT NE	BROOKMOOR CT	WEST DEAD END
FORRESTER SE	KALAMAZOO	W DEAD END
FORRESTER SE	KALAMAZOO	E DEAD END
FOSTER CT NE	FOSTER	E DEAD END
FREMONT NW	9TH	11TH
GENEVA SE	MARTIN LUTHER	PRINCE
GIDDINGS SE	36TH	GROOTERS
GOLD NW	BRIDGE	DOUGLAS
GREEN SE	DIVISION	JEFFERSON
GROOTERS SE	GIDDINGS	NEWCASTLE
GROVE NE	PLAINFIELD	CARMEN
HARLAN NE	MICHIGAN	HAKE

HASTINGS NE	OTTAWA	BOND
HOUSEMAN NE	LEONARD	COLDBROOK
HOUSEMAN NE	LYON	MICHIGAN
HOUSEMAN NE	MALTA	FLAT
HOUSEMAN NE	FLAT	CAPEN
INDIANA NW	BRIDGE	CHATHAM
IVES SW	BUTTERWORTH	PARK
KATHERINE NE	MONROE	CHESHIRE
KEN-O-SHA INDUSTRIAL SE	EASTERN	E DEAD END
LEXINGTON NW	FULTON	DOUGLAS
MARIDELL NW	FOURTH	SOUTH DEAD END
MARIDELL NW	4TH	6TH
MARYLAND NE	FULTON	KENT
MORE NE	COLLEGE	SINCLAIR
NEWBERRY NE	FAIRVIEW	LIVINGSTON
NEWTON SE	BURTON	GRIGGS
NIAGARA SE	HALL	ALEXANDER
NORTH NE	LEONARD	PAGE
OAKLAWN NE	FULLER	CARLTON
ONAWAY SE	TECUMSEH	PLYMOUTH
PARKLANE NE	MONROE	MONROE
POWERS NW	WALKER	5TH
PROSPECT NE	FOUNTAIN	LYON
PROSPECT SE	DELAWARE	HIGHLAND
PROSPECT SE	WEALTHY	CHERRY
RICHARDS SW	BUTTERWORTH	PARK
RICHWOOD SE	MOREWOOD	CURWOOD
ROSSMAN SE	ADAMS	BOSTON
ROSSMAN SE	ORVILLE	BOSTON
SERVICE NE	BALL	PLYMOUTH
SHIRLEY NE	COLLEGE	UNION
SIBLEY NW	LENORA	GRAHAM
SINCLAIR NE	BRADFORD	MORE
SPARKS SE	LAKE EASTBROOK	EAST PARIS
STRAIGHT SW	BUTTERWORTH	FULTON
SYCAMORE SE	DIVISION	SHELDON
SYCAMORE SE	CASS	LAFAYETTE
TAMARACK NW	WALKER	6TH
WIDDICOMB NW	RICHMOND	WEBSTER
WOODCREST NW	LYNNE LN	FRUITWOOD
WOODCREST NW	FRUITWOOD	LAKE MICH DR