Road Commission plans busy road construction season this year with 22 projects
Those orange barrels will be all over the county this year as the Washtenaw County Road Commission plans 11 road, guardrail and drain projects, plus an additional 11 paving projects during the construction season.
And these do not include additional projects that will be planned between the townships and the Road Commission as elected officials begin meeting with road commissioners to plan local road improvements.
Sheryl Siddall, director of engineering, said many projects are on the books for this construction season.
Sheryl Siddall, director of engineering, Washtenaw County Road Commission
Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com
In Saline Township, $36,000 in guardrail replacements will take place on Arkona Road, west of Jordan Road this spring.
This summer, another section of the county’s border to border non-motorized trail in Dexter and Webster townships will include the construction of a pathway from the Village of Dexter to Hudson Mills Metropark with an estimated $2.1 million pricetag.
In Ypsilanti Township, the Ford Boulevard Phase II project, which includes a mill and resurfacing of the road from M-17 to US-12 and the restriping of the road from four lanes to three lanes. This $200,000 project is expected to take place from August to October.
Fox Ridge Court in Lodi Township, a cul-du-sac off Pleasant Lake Road, will see an about $87,000 mill and resurface of its roads that will take place in June. This project is being funded by residents in the subdivision through a special assessment district.
In Pittsfield and Ypsilanti townships, Golfside Road between Packard and Clark roads in a joint venture with the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority will see mill and resurfacing as well as sanitary sewer work. The $1.1 million project is expected to begin in May and continue through July.
Washtenaw County Road Commissioner Fred Veigel
Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com
Residents on Park Road, a gravel road in Scio Township, have petitioned the Scio Township Board to pave their gravel road. The about $200,000 project is expected to be paid for through a special assessment district and take place from August through October on Park Road to the end of the pavement at Birkdale Drive.
Also planned are paving - hot-mix asphalt milling and/or overlay projects on the following roads for 2012:
The about $710,000 first phase of this mill and overlay program consists of:
- Austin Road - Dell Road to Saline City Limits
- Austin Road - Schneider Road to Boettner Road
- North Territorial Road - 0.5 miles east of Huron River Drive to Mast Road
- North Territorial Road - Whitmore Lake Road to Spencer Road
- Werkner Road - M-52 to Waterloo Road
The about $1.2 million second phase is expected to go to bid on March 2 and exact dates for the projects have not been determined.
- Austin Road - Schill Road to Dell Road
- Clark Road - Golfside Road to Hewitt Road
- Dexter-Chelsea Road - Freer Road to Dancer Road
- Dexter-Pinckney Road - North Territorial Road to the county line
- Huron River Drive - Clark Road to WCC/St. Joseph Mercy Hospital
- Platt Road - Textile Road to Ellsworth Road
In Superior Township, Plymouth Road from Dixboro to M-153 will see improvements beginning this summer. That segment of road will be milled and resurfaced. There will be a center and left-turn lane as well as a new traffic light at Cherry Hill Road. The project has an estimated cost of about $1 million.
Sugar Creek Drain extension will see improvements in York Township next winter at a cost of about $100,000.
In Lodi Township, Water Road from Wagner to the end of the pavement at the Pittsfield Township line will see about $390,000 in improved drainage. It’s a gravel road that sees more than 1,000 cars per day, said Roy Townsend, managing director, and one that needs to be paved. In fact, the road was graded more than 32 times last year, Townsend said.
When asked by Road Commissioner Fred Veigel why it wasn’t paved, he was told that it was a funding issue. If federal funds are used, the road will cost $1 million per mile and more trees will need to be removed and the road will need to be widened.
It’s a situation that the Road Commission plans to discuss with residents and the township.
Willis Road Bridge over the west branch of Paint Creek, west of Whittaker Road, will be replaced at a cost of $750,000. The Augusta Township project is expected to begin in June and last through August.
Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com.
Comments
Lisa
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 : 10:37 p.m.
So Washtenaw County is yet again fixing roads that are bad....how NICE....how about they do their half of Mott Road and get rid of some of the many many many MANY potholes that the residents have to drive daily. I personally am a little tired of paying exorbitant amounts of money on my suspension because this road is so CRAPPY!!!!.....there are other people that live in outer edges of Washtenaw County as well, you know!!!
Arlington
Sun, Jan 29, 2012 : 7:03 p.m.
Where is this pedestrian tunnel near WCC and St. Joe's that the article mentions?
russellr
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 3:33 p.m.
You would think the nightmare of Waters Rd between Wagner and Oak Valley would be paved. It has to be graded every week It's the worst road in Michigan. Please everyone call 761-1500 road commission to complain when it's so bad you can't take it any longer.
grimmk
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 3:25 p.m.
I really wish Prospect between Homes and Cross st would be repaved. It's HORRIBLE. Also by the four way stop by Le Forge and W Clark Rd. Turning onto Clark right there is just riddled with pot holes. People drive into the other lane to avoid it and that could cause accidents.
thedime
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 3:12 a.m.
Prospect was redone in Summer of 2000 to coincide with water main project. How about some accountability of contractor who did shoddy work. Clark and LeForge is a boundary street btw Ypsi city and township. Both sides have to pony up the cash
Seriously???
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 3:10 p.m.
It is great to see some funding for some road repairs and upgrades throughout the county. I'm curious how these projects are prioritized? If I recall...there were a significant number of bridges that were listed as "critical" in a study not too long ago. Not to mention as a taxpayer (to the tune of over $6000 a year) the county graded the road I live on only twice this past summer. There have been numerous articles regarding budget cuts, not to mention some people working for the county being paid quite handsomely and abusing their priveledges of being able to expense certain costs. Have we recouped that money yet? So, for the county to spend 2.1m on a trail seems a little irresponsible. Several years ago there was money budgeted to upgrade the road I live on...but guess what? It never happened. I think it was $87,000 approx. to apply gravel and clean ditches. I'm still waiting. In the meantime, the expenses to repair our vehicles continue on...
Lisa Allmendinger
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 2:41 p.m.
As a road agency, the Road Commission is administering the $2.1 million, which includes $1 million in federal and grant money. The remainder is local funding through HCMA and county parks.
deb
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 1:43 p.m.
Is it me or is the largest expenditure a non-motorized trail?!? Where does the "road commission" get it's money, and why not spend it on trails for motorized vehicles?
deb
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 5:08 p.m.
"road commission" not non motorized trail commission
Ron Granger
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.
We spend billions on roads for motorized vehicles. Spending a little for people who get out of their cars is only fair.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 1:42 p.m.
. . . while the roadways on either side of I-94 on Ann Arbor-Saline road continue their metamorphosis into gravel. Good Night and Good Luck
thedime
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 : 3:09 a.m.
A MDOT controlled ROW. WCRC has no jurisdiction.
jcj
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 1:40 p.m.
It will be nice to see some more road work done in the county and I realize that the WCRC is not responsible for roads in the city. But you would think that the city with the lowest unemployment rate in the state could do better with some of our streets. It is a disgrace.
average joe
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 1:05 p.m.
That 2.1 million border to border, non-motorized trail pathway in Dexter is part of the WCRC's budget?
jcj
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 1:10 p.m.
That was my thought also Joe.
Swimmer
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 12:14 p.m.
Still no Carpenter between Packard and Washtenaw? wow. Maybe we can raise a little money by offering spelunking vacations there?
A2comments
Mon, Jan 23, 2012 : 12:51 p.m.
This was stated as funded for 2014 in a previous article. <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/road-wise-five-more-of-your-road-questions-answered/?cmpid=RSS_link_news">http://www.annarbor.com/news/road-wise-five-more-of-your-road-questions-answered/?cmpid=RSS_link_news</a> As Carly Simon sang, "An-tic-i-pation..."
grimmk
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 3:22 p.m.
Or worry that people won't know where the lanes are because there are no lane markers there anymore. I just follow a section of ruts and potholes and pray the person in the right lane will too.
ranger007
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 3:15 p.m.
Its like ann arbor saline over i94...I have to get an alignment every time I drive over it
A2comments
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 : 12:10 p.m.
Light and turn lane at Cherry Hill will be good. Better would be 2 lanes through Dixboro to M14. Large backups in morning and evening rush hours.