A contractor will dig tomorrow near the intersection of Emmett Street and North Avenue – the anticipated site of a future roundabout – because that project is at the edge of a historic district.
The dig area is on the west side of North Avenue, partially in Irving Park, and partially in the parking lot across Emmett Street. It has not been surveyed previously for archaeological artifacts.
City staff don’t believe the work will cause any traffic impacts.
The roundabout project was developed after years of pedestrian safety discussions between the city and Bronson Battle Creek Hospital, and a 2018 safety audit, after a crash that resulted in the death of a pedestrian. It would cost about $1 million, with the majority of funding secured through two grants – an MDOT Safety Grant of $600,000, and a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant of nearly $260,000.
City staff expect to engage the community on the roundabout project in December or January, once it has environmental clearance, and a design concept.
For more information about the roundabout, see a list of frequently asked questions at battlecreekmi.gov/faq, Emmett/North Roundabout, or call the Department of Public Works at 269-966-3343.