Shovels signal streetscape construction start in Farmington

Construction crews are starting to swarm Grand River Avenue in downtown Farmington, ready to begin work on the city's streetscape project later this week.

Those crews have already been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work and expect to put shovels in the ground either this weekend or early next week, ahead of its scheduled mid-May start. Construction will go on throughout the summer and finish up this fall.

"It came on us really fast," says Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington Downtown Development Authority. "They awarded the bid a couple of weeks ago and they wanted to get started as soon as possible."

The multi-million dollar project will rebuild Grand River between Farmington Road and Warner Street, making the byway friendlier to pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists. It will expand the sidewalk area, add bump outs around parallel parking spaces, and install new sidewalks, crosswalks, benches, bike racks, trash cans and decorative streetlights.

The contractor plans to build the north side of the street first, finishing it in time for the city's Founders Festival in July. The south side will be built during the late summer/early fall.

The planned work for Grove Street between Grand River and Orchard Street has now been put on hold for at least a year until the city finds financing. The Grove portion will receive the same type of improvements, but a boulevard will be added.

Source: Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke

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Shovels signal streetscape construction start in Farmington

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