Along Albert Avenue, construction to upgrade the sewage and water facilities to the area has closed off the road between Charles Street and Division Avenue. The project will be completed in stages, closing down one or two blocks at a time with construction moving westward to the intersection of Grove and Linden streets.

The only exception will be when workers finish the final paving and the entire road between Charles and Linden streets will be shut down. East Lansing senior engineer Ron Lacasse estimated the project would be completed near the end of summer or in early fall.

“That combined sewer has underserved the needs of that area,” he said.

Lacasse hopes the upgrades being made to the sewer system will instead “overserve” the area’s needs.

Sean Morris, a general manager at Leo’s Coney Island, 333 Albert Ave., said the construction has not impacted business at the restaurant much.

“There are going to be some headaches along the way, but it’s better for future endeavors,” he said.

The second construction project will occur along Harrison Avenue, between Mt. Hope and Trowbridge roads. The construction will include upgrades to the roadways and sidewalks, and is estimated to be completed by July 27.

In addition to the upgrades to the roadways, Lacasse said the workers will do some work to existing utilities below the roads.

“MSU also has utilities in there for Spartan Village, so we’re doing some repairs for them and extending a 16-inch water main underneath Trowbridge (Road) to the south side,” he said. “But the bulk of the work is reconstruction and maintenance of what’s there.”

The closure has been significantly affecting traffic to the area, also forcing CATA to alter the routes of some of its bus systems, Lacasse said.

Although construction is an annoyance for many, urban and regional planning junior Elisha DeFrain said ultimately the betterment of the community makes it a necessary part of life.