Extra work needed on Neff Road this spring

GROSSE POINTE CITY — Additional work needs to be done before a Neff Road project can be completed in Grosse Pointe City.

Following water main replacement under Neff last year, the City had planned to resurface the road this spring. However, City Manager Joseph Valentine said that after milling was recently done and bore samples were taken, road contractors discovered that there were places where the road base was in poor condition and needed to be replaced.

City engineers said a solid base is vital before asphalt is laid on top of the road, because otherwise cracking or asphalt displacement early in the lifespan of the road is likely.

With curb and gutter repairs slated to happen the week of March 18, road base work scheduled for the week of April 8 and paving the week of April 15, officials needed to act quickly to address the problem. The Grosse Pointe City Council voted unanimously March 18 in favor of authorizing $270,000 to $300,000 from the capital projects fund to tackle the base work.

Valentine said authorizing the funds would allow the contractor already working on Neff — Pro-Line Asphalt — “to get that work done while they’re here” in the City.

“In this case, it’s a significant part of the base that needs to be repaired,” City Engineer Ryan Kern, of Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick Inc., said. “We want to do it the correct way (so) you’re looking at a 20-, 25-year street (lifespan) here.”

Kern said the dollar amount authorized by the council covers replacing the base under Neff between Charlevoix Avenue and Waterloo Street and between Kercheval Avenue and St. Paul Street, where it’s in bad shape.

“There are several sections where the underlying asphalt is significantly cracked, displaced or fragile to where you can break it apart with your hands,” Kern said. “There are other areas where no or very little asphalt exists under what has been milled off, exposing the gravel base.”

Noting the inconvenience this project has meant for Neff residents, City Councilman Christopher Walsh asked how City communication had been going with them.

Valentine said they resumed weekly email updates and he had received no complaints at press time.

“As far as I know, things are going well,” Valentine said. “People are happy to see this project come to a close.”

City resident Debra Brady, who lives in the 500 block of Neff, said the city has been good about keeping residents apprised of what’s going on with this project.

“I’m pleased with the communication and the support from the team,” Brady told the council.

City Councilman Christopher Moyer asked administrators to continue communications with the impacted residents.

“This is a street that has seen a tremendous amount of construction,” Moyer said.