Ann Arbor staff outline Ingalls–Kingsley water main project and two-way street conversions, construction through October 2026

Cynthia Redinger, transportation engineer, presented the Ingalls–Kingsley water main project and described upgrades to aging water and storm infrastructure alongside street and safety improvements.

The project will upsize an existing 6-inch water main, perform storm sewer repairs and resurface the street, Redinger said. She added the work creates an opportunity to implement elements of the city's transportation plans, including a local cycling corridor, crosswalk improvements and speed-management measures. "We have aging water main infrastructure, we have aging storm infrastructure, [and] a failing street surface," she said.

The presentation placed the project in the context of several local policies that guided design choices: the 2011 Complete Streets resolution, the 2015 Vision Zero resolution, the 2020 carbon neutrality plan (which includes a strategy to reduce vehicle miles traveled by 50%), the 2020 sidewalk millage and the 2021 Ann Arbor Moving Together Toward Vision Zero transportation plan. Redinger said the project implements the plan's goals of safety, accessibility for all and mobility.

On the streets themselves, Redinger described changes to Kingsley and Ingalls. Kingsley and the Ingalls segment north of Catherine will be converted from one-way to two-way traffic; Catherine south will remain one-way, she said. The conversion is meant to reduce vehicle miles traveled and improve cycling access; Redinger also cited nearby development, including a U-M daycare facility, as a factor informing the design.

Design changes include altered cross-sections on Kingsley to Ingalls, intersection bump-outs and revised service access: "Service, we will still service solid waste carts from the amenity zone. Currently, some folks place them in the street. That won't be acceptable anymore," Redinger said. For Ingalls between Kingsley and Catherine she said an all-way stop at Lawrence is proposed to address sight-distance concerns.

Redinger reviewed the project schedule and approvals. The concept phase occurred in March and April, when staff presented to the Transportation Commission, which recommended the two-way conversion to City Council. City Council approved a construction resolution in April, construction began in May and is expected to continue through October 2026.

Project staff named during the presentation included project manager Igor Kolodyazhny and community engagement specialist Katie Dillon. Redinger invited attendees to reach out to city staff with questions about the design and schedule.

The city expects to move forward with construction later this year; staff did not provide a construction phasing map, traffic-control phasing, or detailed cost and funding breakdowns during this presentation.