Benton Charter Township - N. Fair, Nickerson Ave & Nickerson Court Water System Improvements

Project Information

Benton Charter Township will be constructing new watermain in two sections of the Township:

The first section of watermain will be constructed this spring along Nickerson Ave between M139 and Nickerson Court, as well as along Nickerson Court between Nickerson Ave and Plaza Drive. Construction is scheduled to start April 1 and continue through early June.

The second section of watermain will be constructed this spring and summer along N. Fair Ave between Territorial Rd and Edgecumbe Ave. Construction on this portion is scheduled to start in May and is expected to continue through July. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact project representatives listed below.

Access/Traffic:

Nickerson Court will remain open for the duration of the project, with a shoulder closure on the north side of Nickerson Court to allow adequate space for construction equipment.

Nickerson Ave will be closed for one week from M139 to Nickerson Court. The closure is anticipated to occur in mid-April. The westbound lane on Nickerson Ave will remain open for the remainder of the project. Eastbound traffic will be detoured via M139, Fairplain Drive, Plaza Drive, and Nickerson Court.

Territorial Rd will be closed between North Fair Ave and Chicago Drive. Traffic will be detoured onto N. Fair Ave, I-94 Business Loop, and Crystal Ave.

Some driveway closures will be necessary for the watermain installation. Driveway access will be restored following each day’s work. Please contact the contractor listed below if you have any special need for driveway access accommodations during daytime working hours.

Mail:

Mailboxes will be temporarily removed and relocated as necessary in coordination with the Postmaster General to allow for excavation and maintain mail service during the project.

Garbage Pickup:

Normal trash pickup schedules will remain throughout the project. When construction work hinders access, the contractor will transport trash containers to an accessible location and return them to the property.

Water Service:

There will be times when your water service will be temporarily interrupted to facilitate water main connections or water service line replacement. The contractor or the Benton Township Water Department will inform you prior to this interruption taking place so that you can plan accordingly.

P&N Engineer
Steve Timmer
(616) 364-8491
stimmer@preinnewhof.com

Contractor
Balkema Excavating
Tim Balkema
(269) 345-5289
tbalkema@balkemaexc.com

Benton Charter Township
Mike Baldwin
(269) 925-0616
mbaldwin@bentonchartertownship-mi.gov

April 15, 2025

Progress Report: Construction on the Nickerson Ave and Nickerson Ct watermain has begun! Approximately 800’ of 12” watermain has been constructed on Nickerson Ct and Nickerson Ave. Eastbound Nickerson Ave is closed to traffic, with a detour on M-139, Fairplain Drive, Plaza Drive, and Nickerson Court. Traffic on westbound Nickerson Ave continues to be maintained.

Upcoming Work: The watermain that has been installed will be pressure tested and chlorinated this week. Once the watermain has been pressure tested and disinfected, water service installation to property lines will begin. Construction of 12” watermain towards the west end of project will also continue through the end of the week.