SOUTH BEND — The city on Wednesday outlined plans to convert Main and Michigan/St. Joseph streets from one-way to two-way next year with as little disruption to business and traffic as possible — and before the start of football season in September.
“It’s going to be hectic, I’m not going to lie,” Scott Ford, executive director of Community Investment for the city, said during one of two presentations at Century Center.
But like ripping off a bandage, the pain will be temporary, he said, with the bulk of the work confined to a few short months over the summer, after Notre Dame graduation but before the start of the school year for South Bend students.
“We know that those summer months after school is our best opportunity to get some of this work underway, and we want to do so in advance of the fall when we know that it is a busier season,” Ford said.
The plan includes multiple lane and intersection closures from March to September to accommodate extensive signal and striping work from Chippewa Avenue to Bartlett Street, streetscape improvements downtown, and the construction of three new roundabouts — at Michigan and Bartlett, Michigan and Marion, and Michigan and Chippewa.
Notably, traffic will be restricted on Main and Michigan/St. Joseph streets, from LaSalle Avenue to Western Avenue, from April through August to accommodate downtown streetscape improvements, including new curbs and sidewalks, street trees, and protected bike lanes and walkways.
And the intersections of Michigan and Bartlett, Michigan and Marion, and Michigan and Chippewa will close completely from early June to mid-August to accommodate roundabout work, with detours in place for north and southbound car and truck traffic.
The closure of Michigan and Bartlett and Michigan and Marion will prevent through traffic between LaSalle and Angela Boulevard, with emergency access to Memorial Hospital preserved along Lafayette Boulevard.
Access to businesses and residences within the project area — for visitors, employees and residents as well as police and fire — will be maintained throughout.
Aside from some pavement work from LaSalle to Western, the bulk of the work should be finished by the end of August, in time for the start of the new school year and the first Notre Dame home football game on Sept. 10.
That said, the work will interfere with some downtown events, such as the annual Sunburst Races in June.
In order to keep residents and business owners up-to-date on construction and traffic maintenance, the city plans to maintain a special website, host live web cams, and hold regular public meetings throughout the year.
Downtown South Bend Inc., meanwhile, plans to engage in a comprehensive marketing campaign to “make sure people know downtown remains open for business,” Executive Director Aaron Perri said Wednesday.