You may have noticed the construction tape around poles in the downtown area and along Junction Avenue in Sturgis in recent weeks. 

The city is working with MAC Construction to remove existing banner poles and install new poles and accompanying support systems that will provide better structural integrity.

During this time, there will be some narrowing of sidewalk areas in the downtown corridor and there will be cones used to close parking spaces throughout the day, said Sturgis City Engineer Callen Hecker. 

Also, there are some operations where larger equipment will be necessary, such as: to remove the existing poles and to drill the foundational piers for the new poles. During these activities, there will be periods of loud noise. The contractor understands the disturbance of these operations and will try to limit these disruptive activities to as few hours as possible in front of each business, Hecker said.

When it comes time to set the new poles, there will be brief road closures, Hecker said.

The contractor will close off one city block at a time to set the new poles. Each set is estimated to take three to four hours. These daytime closures will eventually close the intersection of Main and Junction as well. During this intersection closure, traffic will be temporarily detoured through Sherman and Lazelle streets. 

“These road closures are necessary to provide room for the equipment and for traffic safety as the new poles will have trusses that span over the width of the road in lieu of the old cable wires,” Hecker said. “We ask for your continued patience as we improve these structures.”

The city currently has 13 banner poles with seven on Main Street, three on Junction Avenue, one on Ball Park Road, and two sets on Lazelle.  The two sets on Lazelle will not be addressed with this project and the set of poles on Ball Park Road are scheduled to be removed and not replaced. 

The new design will allow for a much safer use, improved aesthetics, and an increased resistance of wind load, Hecker said.

The Main Street poles are scheduled to be complete by the end of May and the whole project is on track to be completed by the middle of June. 

If you have any other questions about the project, you can call Hecker at 605-347-3916.