Downtown Construction to Begin in Spring

Plymouth residents and visitors are in store for some construction dust and inconvenience, starting as early as Tuesday, due to construction on a streetscape plan that will upgrade important downtown roads and intersections.

The project will repave portions of Penniman, Main Street, Fralick, Forest and Ann Arbor Trail. It will upgrade sewer lines and replace old traffic signals and crossing signals with new ones.

It will also replace the intersection at Penniman and Main, installing new brick paver crosswalks.

"The important thing to remember is that this is for the betterment of downtown," said Anthony Bruscato, director of Plymouth's Downtown Development Authority, which is heading up the project.

The DDA held informational sessions this week for businesses and residents. Scott Smith, the owner of the , was at one early morning session Tuesday because he was concerned about where his customers would park and how the disrupted traffic flow would affect his business.

"I think there's a negative psychology that comes with construction," Smith said. "But I think that business' needs are being addressed well by the DDA and that we'll find solutions."

Some of those solutions include directing customers to parking areas a little farther away from stores, such as the parking lot behind the .

The parking structure on Harvey and Penniman will remain open throughout the construction project, but on-street parking spaces will be available on streets being worked on.

All businesses will remain open throughout the project.

"Is it going to be inconvenient? Yes, but customers will be able to get to you as a business owner," Bruscato said.

According to project manager Shawn Keough, the construction will begin Tuesday, or "as soon as weather permits," and should end in late May or early June.