Ann Street Improvements Project

Project Overview

Utility upgrades, road resurfacing, and an updated streetscape to be constructed on Ann Street from First to Fifth.

March 27, 2026 Project Update

Detour signage has been installed, and a marked route is in place. Navigation platforms, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze, have been updated to reflect current closures and detours.

Access to the Ann Ashley parking structure must be made from Miller Avenue to North Ashley Street. Due to the closure of the Ann Street exit, the parking structure capacity will be limited through Mid-May. Parking Permit holders are always guaranteed a spot, even if the sign says full. Please see the 'Traffic, Parking & Access Impacts' tab for more details.

The city is working closely with the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the parking structure operators to alleviate congestion and confusion. We will monitor usage and will adjust available spaces to allow as much hourly parking as possible. We are working to balance parking needs with logistical considerations and will continue to fine tune operations as the first phase of the Ann Street project progresses.

The 16 trees on Ann Street between the parking structure and Fourth Avenue will be removed Saturday, April 4. On-street parking on Ann Street will be prohibited from Main Street to Fourth Avenue on April 4 for the work to be done. The work will last one day. New trees will be planted in new tree grates as part of the DDA’s streetscape portion of the project.

Why is this project being done?

The existing 6- and 8-inch diameter water main along Ann Street between N First Street and N Fifth Avenue is over 100-years old, is undersized, and needs to be replaced. The road surface is in bad condition and needs to be replaced. This area is a great candidate for infiltrating storm sewer because the soils under the road have good infiltration rates and it is in the overwhelmed Allen Creek watershed.

Work to be done

Water Main:
- The water main between N First Street and N Fifth Avenue will be upsized to a 12-in water main.
Storm Sewer:
- Oversized, infiltrating storm sewer will be installed between N Main Street and N Fifth Avenue to remove the first inch of rainfall on the road influence from the Allen Creek drain and infiltrate it back into the earth.
- Various storm sewer inlets will be upgraded and moved as necessary for proper drainage.
Curb and Road Surface:
- The paint and post bump outs currently on Ann Street will be made permeant with concrete curb and gutter.
- Similar bump outs will be added to N Main Street and Ann Street intersection and to the west half of N Fifth Avenue and Ann Street intersection.
- The streetscape will be updated based on public input.
- The trees between Main and Fourth are in poor health and they will be replaced.
- The road will be resurfaced

Costs and funding source

Water main work will be paid for by the Water Supply System Fund. Stormwater system improvement will be paid for by the Stormwater Fund. Repaving will be funded by the Road, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage Fund. Streetscape upgrades will be funded by the Ann Arbor DDA.

The streets will be closed to through traffic during construction. Residential and business access will be maintained but may include delays during working hours. Cross street traffic will be maintained as much as possible.
Water service will be interrupted for short durations during water main installation. Planned disruptions will be limited, and residents/businesses will be informed in advance.
Water main breaks happen during construction, these are not planned therefore notifications are not possible. The breaks will be repaired, and water service will be restored as soon as possible.
General noise and dust from equipment, particularly during site excavation.
Relocation and the addition of new fire hydrants may change or eliminate some on-street parking along the streets.
Mail and delivery services, as well as garbage, compost, and recycling pick up will be accommodated during construction.
Customer and delivery access to businesses in the area will be coordinated with the business owners.
The project limits are within the City Right-of-Way which extends from the center of the road to 1 foot behind the back of the sidewalk on both sides of the road. The contractor will be allowed to store materials and equipment in this area (outside of tree canopies). Any disturbed area will be restored with grass seed after the project.
Construction notifications, with an estimated schedule, will be delivered prior to construction.

From April 11 to May 30, 2025, the Ann Street Corridor Experience form was available for business owners and residents to share their experiences as well as concerns when traveling the Ann Street Corridor.

August 13, 2025: An in-person public meeting was held to share the design concept.

Powerpoint slides (PDF)
Preliminary rendering (JPG)

Questions or concerns can be emailed to the project manager: Tracy Anderson, tanderson@a2gov.org

January 14, 2026: The design concept was finalized

Final rendering (project design) (PDF)

Traffic, Parking & Access Impacts

Traffic, Parking, & Access Impacts

Below are the current or upcoming traffic, parking and access impacts:

VEHICLES:

Ann Street is closed from N First Street to N Main Street.
- A detour is posted along Huron Street, North Main Street, and Miller Avenue to direct traffic to this entrance.
- First and Main are open.
- Ashley and Ann intersection is closed.

PEDESTRIANS:

All sidewalks are currently open along Ann Street.
- Please use caution when around construction equipment.
- Sidewalks will be closed in the future, one side of the road at a time.

PARKING:

Access to the Ann Ashley parking structure must be made from Miller Avenue to North Ashley Street.
Parking capacity is limited during construction due to decreased exits.
Parking permit holders are guaranteed a spot, even if the structure sign says full.

OTHER PARKING OPTIONS:

If the Ann Ashley structure is full, additional public parking remains available at other Downtown Development Authority (DDA) facilities including:
- Library Lane structure (319 S Fifth)
- 4th & Washington structure (123 E Washington)
- 4th & William structure (115 E William)

Past Project Updates & Construction Notices

March 20, 2026 Update

Construction of Phase 1 will begin, as planned, on Monday, March 23. Ann Street will be closed from First Street to Main Street; driveways on Ann Street will still be accessible. Ashley Street will be closed at Ann Street and First Street while Main Street will remain open. The Ann/Ashley parking structure will be accessible off Ashley Street. A detour will be posted on Monday, March 23.

Water main will be installed first. It will be installed along the south curbline from West to East.

The 16 trees on Ann Street between the parking structure and Fourth Avenue will be removed before April 15, per federal guidelines. If you have any lights in these trees, please remove them before April 1.

Construction Notices

March 2026

March 6, 2026 Update

We are pleased to share that Bailey Excavating, Inc. has been awarded the construction contract for the Ann Street Improvements Project. Construction is scheduled to begin March 23, 2026. Construction will be completed in three (3) phases from west to east. A map of the phases is provided below.

As work gets underway, we encourage everyone within the project area to stay informed by joining the project mailing list. To receive timely updates, please click the “+Follow” button at the top of this page to be added to the mailing list for construction updates.

We appreciate your continued patience and support as we move into the construction phase and look forward to delivering these important improvements to the Ann Street corridor.

January 26, 2026 Update

A rendering of the final design for Ann Street has been posted.

Please visit the website to view how the road is going to look when the project is complete. The on-street parking spaces are identified on the plan.

Some notable changes from the preliminary rendering are:

Bump outs at the intersections were extended to prevent parked cars from being too close to intersections.
A fully accessible on-street ADA parking space was added near Main St. The design will be the same as the newly installed ADA space on Fourth Ave north of Huron St.
Two more disabled on-street parking spaces were also added to the corridor. These are standard parking dimensions, but a person must have a disabled placard to park there.
The Sharrow bike symbols were removed.

The major changes from the current layout include:

The bike lane was removed. There was no room for a two-way bike lane and there is a high-comfort, two-way bike lane one block north on Miller/Catherine.
A mid-block crosswalk will be added by the Ann-Ashely parking structure.
The long curb cut in the northwest quadrant of Ann St. and Main St. will be closed and on-street parking will be added on both sides of the road.
A unified street design, including garden beds, streetlights, benches, and bike hoops, will be installed from Ashley St. to Fifth Ave.
Most of the on-street parking and loading zones will stay the same.

The project is out to bid right now, and the City will open proposals next week. Construction is expected to start in April and be completed in three phases. The road will be completed by November of 2026. An informational video will be posted to the website in February to explain the phases and impacts of construction.