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Frequent summer construction disrupts E.L. residents' daily lives

July 28, 2015
<p>The construction on Abbot Road in East Lansing is working to repair the roads and sidewalks in that area. Catherine Ferland/ The State News</p>

The construction on Abbot Road in East Lansing is working to repair the roads and sidewalks in that area. Catherine Ferland/ The State News

Photo by Catherine Ferland | The State News

East Lansing residents living on Abbott Road between Burcham Drive and Saginaw Street have had to adjust to some new neighbors these past couple weeks after construction on the road section began June 28.

“You have to figure out where you can go and not go,” East Lansing resident Rosemary Severance said. “Like if I go to church … I have to figure out the best way to get there, which side of the road to go on … because I don’t know if the sidewalk is too difficult.”

Severance lives on Abbott Road and the construction is near the front of her house. Though she said her main trouble is getting around, since she often walks places, her tenant expressed trouble sleeping, especially during the night construction.

Fortunately for those living on and around this stretch of Abbott Road, the construction is on schedule to be completed August 14, East Lansing Public Works design engineer Steven Roach said.

Roach said there was only night work up until July 15, after which the road was completely closed to allow the contractors to finish in time.

“We are on schedule to be wrapped up with the roadwork before students come back to campus,” Roach said.

Scott Maram, a constructor worker at the site, said they might be finished as early as next week.

The construction is necessary to replace some old, deteriorating sanitary and drain lines, Maram said, and construction crews are also repaving the road and sidewalk they’ve unearthed.

Traffic cones blocking the ability to turn onto Abbott Road at the Saginaw intersection are out to protect holes and give leeway to drivers in case they bump into a cone, Maram said.

The construction is currently going on between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Maram said, and they work with nearby residents to get them around the construction.

“A lot of the time they’ll get them out before they start tearing stuff up in front of their driveways,” Maram said.

While the road is closed off, especially after Whitehills Drive, where it is torn up, people are still able to get to the businesses on Abbott Road, such as the East Lansing Post Office and the East Lansing Public Library, through detours.

Severance said she is still able to easily get to the library, but she isn’t able to make it to the post office with her walker due to a drop off after sidewalks.

Though the construction is a hindrance to some residents along Abbott Road, Roach said they were made aware of the construction before it began and they are working with the residents.

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