Jefferson Avenue sewer project set to start in February

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Jefferson Avenue will be under construction starting in February as the city adds another pipe to reduce combined sewer overflows into the lake.

The main goal for the sewer projects is to stop combined sewer overflows from releasing into Lake St. Clair. Such events occur when combined sewer systems become overwhelmed with rainwater and sewage, and the untreated water flows into nearby lakes and rivers. As it stands, the part of Jefferson Avenue from Nine Mile Road to10 Mile Road only has one pipe whereas surrounding areas on Jefferson have two pipes.

Mayor Kip Walby said in 2001, extra pipes were placed everywhere except for this one stretch of road. The reason for this is not known.

“(Now) 22, 23 years later, 24 years later, we’re going to attack this issue and put this second pipe in there like I think it should have been done in 2001,” Walby said. “It’s a 60-inch pipe so it’s a large pipe.”

Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller said although the project is being done through the city and other resources at the Southeast Macomb Sanitary District, all hands are on deck for it. SEMSD includes the communities of St. Clair Shores, Eastpointe and Roseville.

Miller, a Republican, said the work is bipartisan.

“I mean no one really cares about Republican-Democrat when it comes to water quality and protecting the lake,” Miller said.

Around $20 million comes from Macomb County’s American Rescue Plan Act money. About $5 million was garnered by state Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and around $2 million was secured by U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township. The total cost of the project is approximately $30 million.

Work is estimated to take 24-30 months.

Miller said the current pipe does not have enough capacity, so they have to discharge the extra sanitary material into the lake during rain events.

“Transformation from a generational standpoint is the way I see it,” Miller said. “We’re doing this for our children, for our grandchildren, to improve the water quality of Lake St. Clair.”

Miller said that though not all of the muck issues residents and others are experiencing in their canals can be attributed to this one issue, it’s a large contributing factor.

“We’re essentially going to be able to pay for this project without raising anybody’s water (or) sewer rates for this particular project,” Miller said. “I’m not saying that everybody’s rates will never go up no matter what.”

The project will be completed in phases on Jefferson. At different times during the project, half of Jefferson will be closed down to only two lanes going north and south. Walby said the road will only be shut down for around three to five blocks at a time.

“Probably all the way to the left turn lane will be shut down,” Walby said.

He went on to say the road will open all the way after the three to five blocks.

“And then they will continue to move like that all the way down Jefferson Avenue,” Walby said.

In total, there will be five phases.

The city, at the time of publication, already started notifying the affected businesses along the Nautical Mile.

Walby estimates for the next three years, the St. Clair Shores Memorial Day Parade will be hosted on Harper Avenue. The parade committee has also already been notified of the scheduled construction.

The hope is that this project won’t affect tourism in the area.

“There’s construction projects (that) happen everywhere and when that happens it does, sometimes, it does impact (tourism). (It) depends on how they do it,” Miller said. “In this case, as I said, we’re really trying to be as sensitive as we can to that.”

Pete Trombley, water waste superintendent at SEMSD, said that around 46 million gallons of sanitary material were discharged into the lake during an event that had around an inch worth of rainfall. Miller said the material is treated by shocking it with a bleach. The substance is not enough to kill wildlife within the ecosystem of the lake, but strong enough to bring the E. coli counts down.

“We are permitted by EGLE, state of Michigan, to do this. We all have permits,” Miller said. “But seriously, now we’re in 2025 and this is what we’re doing? I mean, come on.”

“This pipe will give us capacity,” Walby said. “It will give us the additional capacity to cut these discharges down significantly.”

This project should also have an impact on basement flooding, especially on the north end of St. Clair Shores, said Vince Astorino, operations manager at SEMSD.

“It’s a major restriction right now, so that will help things,” Astorino said.

Walby said that though this is a positive step, he acknowledges that this will have an impact on the residents and businesses of St. Clair Shores. He said the project will begin with setup around Feb. 17.

Work on the project was awarded to Ric-Man Construction Inc. which is based in Sterling Heights.

“We’re aware of the Nautical Mile and trying,” Walby said. “We’re not being facetious; we try to do as little impact on businesses as we can although we know it will have (a) significant impact on it.”

Miller said they have an open forum scheduled for sometime in February. The date, place and time had yet to be determined when the Sentinel went to press.

“We have a fiduciary responsibility and that fiduciary responsibility is to take care of our lake and try to leave it better than we found it,” Walby said. “And at the end of the day, once we complete this goal, this road project, we have accomplished that.”