Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A roughly three-month water main replacement project starts Monday in the City of Brighton and will be followed by a larger project in the spring that will modernize streets, sidewalks and infrastructure in the downtown area.

The water main replacement project is on Main Street from Grand River to South 2nd Street. That work is anticipated to last through the end of March and will require intermittent lane closures and detours.

The water main replacement will cause the south side of Main Street to be closed from Grand River to South 2nd Street. Westbound traffic will be maintained, but eastbound will be detoured to South 3rd Street and Brighton Lake Road. The intersections of Hyne Road and Main Street as well as West Street and Main Street will also be closed. There will be lane closures on Grand River when crews are making the connection between the new and existing water main. A minimum of one lane will be open both north and southbound throughout the project.

Additionally, the City advises that the Excelda Parking Lot, the gravel parking lot on the corner of North and Hyne, and the gravel portion of the CSX parking lot, which is the lot next to the railroad tracks on Main Street, will be closed starting Monday. Both lots will remain closed for the duration of the project to allow for the staging of construction equipment and supplies.

All businesses downtown will remain open throughout the construction.

Meanwhile, the Streetscape Project improvements beginning in April are anticipated to last through November 2023. The Downtown Development Authority issued a press release about the project, which is attached. A QR code for alerts and information is also attached.

In addition to the replacement of 100-year-old water lines and new underground utility lines, the release states downtown Brighton will see many changes including improved crosswalks, modernized LED lighting, bicycle parking areas, landscaping and wider, ADA-compliant sidewalks.

DDA Chairman Tim Corrigan said one of the DDA’s biggest priorities in the Streetscape Project was the safety of the general public, with particular attention to ADA compliance.

Numerous Brighton area non-profit organizations and community members have praised the DDA for its efforts on addressing safety concerns, especially for disabled community members and senior citizens utilizing the downtown shopping district.

Once completed, the Brighton Streetscape Project is expected to result in a major economic boost to merchants, especially along Main Street. Corrigan commented that the DDA has had a keen eye on the economic benefit that the Streetscape Project will produce. He says it will enhance the attractiveness of downtown and make it a desirable place for people to congregate, shop and explore various options – adding it will also be a catalyst to attracting new businesses to downtown Brighton.

Photo: Google Street View