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Kent County Drain Commissioner - Dean Lake Level Control

Project Information

Dean Lake is a naturally occurring lake with shared ownership by waterfront parcels. Flooding during wet weather events has a negative impact on nearby properties. The Kent County Drain Commissioner (KCDC) is building a pump station and force main to convey flows to the Hills & Dales drain to prevent future flooding.

The force main portion of the project will be constructed in the late summer and fall of 2025. The pump station and lake intake structure construction will begin in the fall of 2025 and be completed in the spring of 2026, some winter work is anticipated. The project is scheduled to be complete and operational by June 2026.

Access/Traffic:

Local traffic will be maintained during construction. There may be times when your driveway is inaccessible because force main construction is occurring in front of your house or driveway restoration is taking place. The contractor will work with you ahead of time and will make special access arrangements with you if needed.

Mail:

Mailboxes that interfere with construction will be temporarily relocated so that mail service can be maintained during construction. If your mailbox needs to be temporarily relocated, the contactor will inform you of where it has been moved to and when they anticipate it will be returned to its original location.

Garbage Pickup:

The contractor will work with you and your waste hauler to maintain service throughout construction. If construction interferes with your waste haulers ability to pick up your garbage, the contractor will temporarily move your garbage bins to a central location and return them to the end of your driveway by the end of the work day.

P&N Engineer
Kevin L. Gritters, PE
Jeremy Kamp, PE
(616) 364-8491

P&N Construction Observer:
P&N will have representatives in the field throughout construction.

Contractor
Montgomery Excavating
(616) 902-5885

Kent County Drain Commissioner
(616) 632-7910

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October 31, 2025

This Week:

  • Paving throughout the site was completed last Friday.
  • Remaining concrete work along Miramar was completed this week.
  • Montgomery completed lawn restoration and project clean-up along the force main route.

Remaining Work This Year:

  • Montgomery is trying to coordinate installation of the lake outlet control structure with their subcontractor. It is still unknown whether this work will be completed this year or pushed to next spring. Once Montgomery has a plan in place, we will provide more details here.
October 24, 2025

This Week:

  • Montgomery completed installation and testing of the ductile iron force main at the pump station site.
  • Montgomery completed construction of the air release structures.
  • Some remaining concrete work is scheduled to be completed Friday.
  • Black Gold was on site to complete the paving this week.

Next Week:

  • Montgomery will work on lawn restoration and general project cleanup along the force main route.

Remaining Work This Fall:

  • Montgomery is planning to install the precast concrete wet well structure and lake outlet control structure yet this year. Once Montgomery has everything in place to complete this work we will provide more details.
October 17, 2025

This Week:

  • Montgomery successfully tested the HDPE force main on Monday to confirm there are no leaks in the pipeline.
  • Road grading along Holtman, Miramar, and Dade was completed.
  • Concrete driveways and curb sections were replaced.
  • Black Gold, Montgomery’s paving subcontractor, is scheduled to be on site today (Friday) to pave Holtman and Dade.

Next Week:

  • Montgomery will work on lawn restoration and continue road grading along Vineyard and Miramar.
  • Manhole covers on Holtman and Dade will be adjusted to final grade.
  • Any remaining concrete work will be completed next week.
  • No paving is anticipated to be completed next week, but Montgomery will be prepping for paving to be completed the last week of October.

We ask that residents avoid driving through the work zone when possible, even after base course paving has been completed. Additional traffic through the work zone only slows down the construction process and adds unnecessary safety concerns for both the crew and motorist.

October 10, 2025

This Week:

  • The last section of HDPE force main will be installed today.
  • Montgomery plans to fill the force main with water and complete the hydrostatic test this afternoon to ensure there are no leaks.
  • Montgomery began placing gravel along Holtman between Vineyard and Balsam.

Next Week:

  • Pending passing test results, Montgomery will continue road grading and place new gravel base in preparation for paving later this month.
  • Driveway and lawn restoration work will begin.
October 6, 2025

TOWNSHIP PARK UPDATE: Access to the park entrance on Dade will be limited on Tuesday and Wednesday this week as Montgomery installs the force main through this area.

October 3, 2025

This Week:

  • Montgomery continued force main construction. The force main has now been installed along Vineyard, Holtman, and Miramar.
  • Road staking was completed on Vineyard and Holtman.

Next Week:  

  • Montgomery will wrap up the HDPE force main construction on Dade.
  • Road reconstruction and restoration activities will begin.
September 26, 2025

This Week:

  • Montgomery completed force main installation along Vineyard with the exception of the air release structure at the Holtman intersection.
  • Montgomery also began installing force main along Holtman between Vineyard and Grape.

Next Week:

  • Montgomery will complete force main installation along Holtman.
  • Air release structures along Holtman, at Vineyard and Miramar, will be constructed.
  • Force main installation along Miramar and Dade will begin.
September 19, 2025

This Week:

  • Montgomery started force main construction at Vineyard and Plainfield and is working south along Vineyard.
  • The connection to the existing catch basin was completed.
  • Traffic control was installed and roads which will be repaved as part of the project were pulverized.

Next Week:

  • Montgomery will continue force main construction along Vineyard between Plainfield and Holtman.
  • The Plainfield and Vineyard intersection will be reconstructed and the MDOT project will pave the approach.
September 5, 2025

Progress Report:

Montgomery will be on site next week moving mailboxes, delivering equipment and materials to the site, and completing some preliminary utility locating. The week of September 15, Montgomery will begin force main construction at the Plainfield and Vineyard intersection and construct the new force main pipe back to the pump station. Black Gold will be on site this week as well to pulverize the existing roads which will be impacted by construction.

August 29, 2025

Montgomery Excavating is targeting the week of September 8 or 15 to begin construction on the force main. Montgomery tentatively plans to start construction of the force main at the pump station and work towards Plainfield Avenue. However, Montgomery may complete some work at the Vineyard and Plainfield intersection right away ahead of the MDOT paving project.

Over the next few weeks you will begin to see equipment, Miss Dig flags, and construction staking show up on site. We ask that residents do not tamper with flags or stakes as this will cause delays in construction. Montgomery will do their best to keep the construction area accessible for school traffic, but we ask residents to be courteous and cautious while driving through the active construction zone.