The Lansing Board of Water and Light is closing Ottawa Street between Grand Avenue and Washington Square for emergency utility construction starting Friday, Sept. 25.

The closure is expected to last through the end of the day Saturday, Sept. 26, according to a city traffic advisory. Drivers on Grand Avenue and Michigan Avenue should also expect lane shifts during the work.

The BWL did not specify what type of emergency prompted the work. The advisory describes it only as "emergency utility construction."

The Lansing Public Service Department posted the advisory on X on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Downtown Day overlap

The closure overlaps with Downtown Day, a Saturday shopping event organized by Downtown Lansing Inc. that runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. across Downtown Lansing, Old Town and REO Town, according to WITL. The event features a shopping passport that enters customers at participating businesses into a prize drawing.

Whether the Ottawa Street closure will affect foot traffic or parking for Downtown Day is unclear.

Second downtown closure also active

The Ottawa Street work adds to an already disrupted downtown grid. BWL also has Shiawassee Street between Capitol Avenue and Grand Avenue closed for a separate utility project. That closure began Monday, Aug. 17, and is expected to last through mid-November, according to a separate city advisory. Detours are posted and local access is maintained on Shiawassee Street.

The Pine Street and Kalamazoo Street intersection also closed Friday, Sept. 25, for sewer work, adding a third active construction zone downtown.

The BWL media line for updates on the Ottawa Street closure is (517) 342-1026.