By Beth Milligan | February 10, 2023
Elmer’s Crane and Dozer Inc. teams will begin a tree felling project in the Slabtown neighborhood next week in preparation for a city project this spring to reconstruct Madison Street and Jefferson Avenue.
Tree felling along Madison and Jefferson begins Tuesday. The work is expected to be completed by March 3rd. “In addition to preparing for construction, it is imperative that tree felling be completed during the winter months to comply with environmental guidelines and to prevent the spread of oak wilt,” the city said in a statement. “In 2011, the city issued a local ordinance prohibiting pruning of oak trees from April through November to protect oak trees and prevent oak wilt.”
According to the press release, the city plans to preserve its urban canopy by including 27 street trees in the street rehabilitation project. In addition to the street remodeling, sewer, water main and storm sewer improvements are planned within the project boundaries of Jefferson Avenue from Fulton Street to Elmwood Avenue and Madison Street from Front Street to Wayne Street. Mobility and safety improvements are planned, including the addition of a walkway on the north side of Jefferson.
Crossing widths at the intersections will be reduced at Madison to allow for shorter pedestrian crossing distances. Speed ​​tables were built into Madison to prevent excessive speeds within the long blocks. Parking will be moved to the east side only in Madison to improve mobility where sidewalks are most accessible. Finally, the project will include green infrastructure elements such as dry wells and bio pits.
“City staff worked closely with the Slabtown Neighborhood Association to provide input on character design, clean stormwater runoff, street width desires, and street tree turf impacts,” the release reads. The $4 million road reconstruction project is scheduled to begin in April and be completed by November. Project updates are available online here.
Photo credit: City of Traverse City
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