Upton Drive Reconstruction Project

May 12, 2024 Project Update

Progress on Phase I of the Upton Drive Project is currently on schedule and the project team is working hard to keep it that way. Rather than describing the work that has been completed, this update will focus on how residents, businesses, and property owners may be impacted in the coming two weeks by the construction underway.

Water Service Work

Water service work at Holcim, Anderson Builders, and Whirlpool will be underway in the coming week. The businesses have been notified of what to expect; this work should not impact other water customers in the area.

Work near the Lakeview Terrace High Rise - south side of the St. Joseph River

Phase 1 of the work next the Lakeview Terrace High Rise is complete. The new sanitary sewer force main under the St. Joseph River and next to the high rise has passed all tests. Phase 2, which includes the elimination of the combined sewer overflow (CSO #003) chamber, is likely two weeks out. Kalin’s current schedule has the construction next to the Lakeview Terrace High Rise completed by mid-June.

Water Service Line Replacement 500 Ridgeway (not part of the Upton Drive Reconstruction Project)

On Tuesday, May 14, a small section of Ridgeway will be closed at 500 Ridgeway in order to complete a water service line replacement. Two-way traffic will be allowed on the north segment of Ridgeway, on either side of the closure, in order to maintain access. The closure is expected to be in place for one day.

2024 Sidewalk Replacement Project (not part of the Upton Drive Reconstruction Project)

B&Z Company informed the City that they intend to start sidewalk replacement work on Ridgeway starting Monday May 20^th. Weather allowing, the contractor will work Monday (5/20) through Thursday (5/23) that week, with no work on Friday (5/24) to ensure their activity does not impact the neighborhood over Memorial Day weekend. B&Z Company has assured the City that they will maintain through traffic while construction is underway. B&Z Company needs to start work on Ridgeway soon in order to complete it prior to July. This is important because the current schedule on the Upton Drive Reconstruction Project has work starting at the Virginia Drive/Marina Drive intersection in the July timeframe.

Please note, lawn restoration (topsoil & seeding) typically lags the sidewalk concrete work, and restoration in the Edgewater Dunes area has been delayed further due to rain. B&Z Company is aware of this, and will restore the areas disturbed soon.

Senior PGA Tournament Parking

The project team has coordinated with the Senior PGA to provide access to the fields that have been used for parking in the past. These include the two parcels that are west of M63, south of the railroad tracks, and east of Upton Drive. A turnaround will also be in place for the shuttle buses from Thursday, May 23 through Sunday, May 26. However, Upton Drive, south of Virginia Drive to the St. Joseph River will remain closed to the general public.

The project team thanks you for your patience, and please feel free to contact Project Engineer Tim Drews (telephone: 269-876-9286, email: tdrews@abonmarche.com) or City Engineer Tim Zebell (telephone: 269-985-0339, email: tzebell@sjcity.com) with questions or concerns.

Project Description & General Information

The Upton Drive Reconstruction Project is scheduled to begin on March 25, 2024.

The project limits include Upton Drive from its southerly end near the St. Joseph River to Momany Drive. The primary purpose of the project is to reconstruct the roadway, install new storm sewer to improve drainage, and replace the sanitary force main from the Edgewater Lift Station to the sanitary sewer interceptor sewer south of the St. Joseph River. While the roadway is removed, the existing sanitary sewer and water mains located under it will be replaced. The project also includes reconfiguration of the roadway to allow the installation of a non-motorized path.

The scope is more complex than most reconstruction projects as it includes three utility crossings under the CSX railroad tracks, a directional bore under the St. Joseph River, and changing the pavement width. This requires coordinating multiple agreements with CSX. Several external funding sources are also involved including a Transportation Economic Development Fund Category A grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation, a Clean Water State Revolving Loan (CWSRF) loan, and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan. A portion of the CWSRF and DWSRF funding will come in the form of grants rather than loans. The balance of funding beyond the external sources listed above will come from the City’s Street Improvement Fund, Water Improvement Fund, and Sewer Fund.

The project is expected to be underway the entire construction season with completion expected in early November.

The supporting documents section has links to more detailed information that can be downloaded, a brief description of the documents follows.

Initial Public Notice - provides a detailed description of the project and answer frequently asked questions.
Selected Alternative - the selected alternative concept plan that was posted during the public input phase.
Pavement Marking - Signage Plan – provides a more detailed view of the plans extracted from the plans as bid.
Initial Public Meeting Presentation – a pdf of the power point presented during the March 6, 2024 public meeting.
Upton Phasing Plan - Anticipated dates of the phasing plan as of March 12, 2014.