Main Street redo set Monday

Article Photos

MARQUETTE - The Main Street reconstruction project starts Monday.

According to City Engineer Keith Whittington, the $820,000 project will be completed Sept. 5. The street will be blocked off to through traffic during the reconstruction, but access will be maintained for several parking lots. Pedestrians access will be maintained.

Whittington said the reconstruction is badly needed. Calling it "one of the worst roads in town" he said the street recently rated a two out of possible 10. In addition, the water and sewer pipes underneath the street are outdated.

"The water main is 1880s water main, I believe. It's a four-inch so it's undersized - we have to replace that and the sanitary sewer is old clay pipe and that needs to be replaced," Whittington said.

The project was a source of controversy when it was first discussed in January. Downtown business owners took issue with the original reconstruction plan, which eliminated parking spots on the street and included a 17-foot wide boulevard.

The revised plan includes a 5-foot boulevard and 159 parking spaces. Currently, there are 162 parking spaces on and around Main Street but they are spaced too narrowly at 8 feet. The current standard is 9 feet, Whittington said.

Darryl Hamari, owner of Marquette Wallpaper and Paint on the corner of Third Street and Main, was opposed to the original plan but said he is fine with the current one.

"The only thing I am not in favor of is the back-in parking," he said.

Angled parking spaces on the redesigned Main Street will require drivers to back their vehicles into the spaces. Whittington said traffic studies show it is safer to back into an angled space as opposed to driving in front-first then having to back out to leave.

"Any of the seniors if they have a stiff neck, if they are having a hard time parking they may not want to park in those areas," he said.

Hamari said he was concerned about people accessing his store during the construction but said the project was needed.

"They went through it on Washington Street (last summer's reconstruction of Washington). It's something that needs to be done," he said. "The water and sewer has to be replaced. There's no way around it. Hopefully our customers will find a way to get to us. If not we'll find a way to get to them."

Whittington said the boulevard, which will be lined with 22 trees, will act as a catch-basin for water runoff from the street.

"We're trying to get water stored in the street right-of-way so it will just percolate out in the ground," Whittington said.

Public parking will be available in the Commons parking lot and adjacent to the Delft Theater via the Jackson Cut Alley. Access to the Wells Fargo parking lot on the north side of Main Street will also be through the alley. Access to the Medical Arts parking lot will be available via Third Street. Access to the Wells Fargo parking lot on the south side of Main Street will be available through the Medical Arts parking lot.