After more than a year, downtown Flint is about to get its main street fully back this week.
For years, driving down Saginaw Street in downtown Flint was often a bone-rattling, sometimes jarring experience.
The roadway composed of thousands of bricks had warped and splintered since the bricks were last relaid in 1936. Most of the bricks date back to the late 1800’s.
But since April, 2023, crews have painstakingly relayed or replaced all the bricks.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley says the bricks are a symbol of the Vehicle City’s swag.
“We have more swag than any other city in the state of Michigan,” said Neeley, “If you don’t believe it…come down and see our new bricks.”
In addition to relaying thousands of bricks, the project included replacement of a 100-year-old water main and all water service line connections to businesses, an upgrade to the area’s electrical infrastructure and the replacement of two gas mains.
The $8 million project was paid for with funds from the city, the Michigan Department of Transportation and the federal Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act.
