Saginaw St. restoration project moving forward on schedule

The Saginaw Street brick restoration and infrastructure project is on track to be completed on schedule. Crews will re-lay bricks between Court and Third Streets over the next six weeks and continue construction between Second and First Streets concurrently. Utility upgrades and brick restoration between Second and First Streets are expected to be complete by the end of November 2023 as planned.

“During construction, the construction team observed the recently installed bricks shifting on Saginaw Street between Fifth and Third Streets,” Flint City Engineer Mark Adas said. “We evaluated the situation and determined the shifting was the result of an issue with the material being used to bed and lock the bricks. It was determined that the bricks should be removed and reinstalled using a polymer sand to prevent the shifting.”

The bricks between Court and Third Streets will be reinstalled with polymer sand at the engineering firm’s expense—not the taxpayers’. The work is expected to take about three weeks per block.

“We did not expect to encounter this challenge, but we are working to resolve it as quickly and effectively as possible so that Flint can get back to enjoying a vibrant downtown,” Adas said. “We encourage our community to support our local businesses during this unexpected additional street closure.”

The issue was identified early enough that the completed section of bricks between Third and Second Streets was installed using polymer sand and will not need to be redone.

As of October 2, 2023, Saginaw St. is closed between Court and Fourth Streets where bricks are being re-laid. In addition, water main replacement is underway at the intersection of Saginaw and Second Streets. To accommodate this work, Saginaw St. is closed between Third and First Streets, and Second Street is closed between Brush Alley and Beach Street.

Saginaw Street is open between Fourth and Third Streets. Fourth and Third Streets are open to through-traffic and street parking is open in this area.

The Saginaw Street project is restoring Flint’s iconic main thoroughfare brick-by-brick and upgrading all underground utilities from Court St. to the Flint River. The work includes water main replacement, electrical upgrades, running conduits for lights and meters, as well as the replacement of two gas mains.

The project is also replacing 80-90% of the sidewalks along Saginaw St. as well as all tree grates. The intersections are being paved with brick-stamped concrete to reduce wear and tear on the road, since vehicles push the bricks to the side when they turn at intersections. All-new ADA-compliant ramps and paved concrete street crossings are also making Saginaw St. more accessible.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is providing about $2.3 million in funding for the project, while the City of Flint’s Major Roads Fund is contributing $3.4 million. An additional $2.8 million from the federal Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN Act) is funding the replacement of the 12-inch water main under Saginaw St.

The project broke ground in April 2023. The final phase of the Saginaw St. brick restoration and infrastructure project from First Street to the Flint River will begin in Spring 2024 and will be completed by early August 2024.