A complete rebuild of a large portion of Capac’s Main Street is being planned. If the project is approved, it would mean not only a new road, but infrastructure, new lighting and new sidewalks.
CAPAC — After a failed attempt in 2006 to improve Main Street in downtown Capac, officials are now planning another attempt, to the tune of $4.75 million dollars, to completely rebuild the downtown corridor from building to building. Village Manager Travis Youatt said everything from the front of buildings, on each side of the street, would be removed and reconstructed, addressing several issues, if funding is awarded for the massive project.
“The work done in 2006 was never right and it has been a problem ever since,” said Youatt who recently completed his first year as Village Manager in Capac. “The council and I have been working on a plan that will not only address the condition of the roadway, but also parking issues and the raised concrete step that is basically non-accessible for handicapped visitors and residents.” He went on to say, “Everything is coming out. Lights, signage, sidewalks, the underground infrastructure. All of it.”
Part of the issue with Main Street is the fact that both concrete and asphalt were used in the earlier project, causing headaches when the time came to make repairs or patch potholes and re-surface cracks. The portion of Main Street that has been included in the project is south of Meier Street north to Aldrich Street. The roadway is heavily used with motorists heading to and from work in the Metro-Detroit area as well as the road being a connector to the I-69 freeway, just south of the village.
Youatt said while village residents would pay 20% of the overall costs, if the work is approved, applications have been sent and more requests are forthcoming to state and federal agencies, requesting the majority of the money to complete the work One application has already been made to Rep. Lisa McClain’s office while other applications are still being drafted to seek other assistance with the nearly $5 million dollar project.
According to construction documents, more than $300,000 is planned just for mobilization of equipment to the site while another $700,000 would be used in construction and design engineering. Also in the plans is a 10% contingency of $325,000 and around $240,000 to remove 112,000 square feet of concrete sidewalks. The project would see $225,000 used for aggregate base, $157,000 for four-inch thick sidewalks and another $187,000 for 3,600 square feet of six-inch sidewalk where required. The work would also include new decorative street lighting, a new stoplight, new signage, new parking configuration and other infrastructure improvements, according to Youatt.
The hope is for funding to be approved and the demolition phase to begin sometime in 2024. Village officials expect to continue to fine tune the scope of the project and are hoping for a long term solution to the rough roadway through downtown Capac.
