Seven Michigan Road Projects Get Federal Money

Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in Michigan will benefit from seven projects which just gained federal grant money. Two projects are scheduled for Wayne County, in Grosse Pointe and Dearborn.

Thursday afternoon, the Michigan Department of Transportation announced the following funding:

"These projects will enhance accessibility and safety and make infrastructure improvements that help to make communities more attractive to residents, visitors and businesses," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "MDOT is pleased to assist communities in making investments that will have positive, long-term effects."

Under federal law, 10 percent of federal surface transportation funds are set aside for enhancement projects. Administered by the MDOT, the grants help communities with projects such as streetscapes, bicycle paths and the preservation of historic transportation facilities. Federal funds provide a maximum of 80 percent of the money required for each project, with the remainder coming from state and local government and the private sector.

• The first Wayne County project is part of the realignment of the Dix-Vernor business corridor in Dearborn. To improve pedestrian safety, the city is working with Wayne County to realign the angle at which Vernor Highway intersects Dix Avenue. Streetscaping will include ADA-compliant curb ramps, pedestrian street lighting, benches, trash receptacles, and landscaping. This project is intended to improve pedestrian safety and intersection aesthetics and add parking. Total cost: $571,105. Federal grant: $342,663. Dearborn: $228,442. "Working with MDOT and Wayne County, we will be able to create a modern, pedestrian-friendly intersection that will be safer and more attractive to residents and visitors alike while boosting our business district," said Dearborn Mayor John O'Reilly Jr. "This is a great example of how a partnership between local and state government can set the stage for community improvements and economic growth."
• The second Wayne County project, in Grosse Pointe, will improve the south side of Mack Avenue, from Cadieux Road to Fisher Road. Streetscaping includes ADA-compliant curb ramps, decorative sidewalks, bike racks, benches, trash receptacles, scored concrete crosswalks, landscaping and decorative lighting. This project is aimed at pedestrian mobility and safety and aesthetics. Total cost: $969,029. Federal grant: $639,559. City funding: $329,470.
• MDOT, with the city of Rochester, will streetscape M-150 (Rochester Road) from Second Street to the Paint Creek Bridge. The project includes upgrading existing decorative street lighting with LED fixtures and fiberglass poles, installing pedestrian benches and trash receptacles, reconstructing tree planter curbs and planting areas with salvaged bricks, installing bollards at each intersection, and upgrading sidewalks and crosswalks. It will be paired with an MDOT road reconstruction project. Total cost: $1,047,556. Federal grant: $523,778; Rochester will pay $523,778.

• In Lansing, 58 bike racks will be installed on Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) buses and 20 bike parking loops along popular CATA bus routes in the greater Lansing area. These are replacement racks for three bikes each, adding one slot more than the worn-out racks. The project costs a total $59,694, with $47,694 being federal funds and $12,000 a CATA match.
• One of two Lenawee County projects is turning the historic Hewitt House into a visitor center for the US-12 Michigan Heritage Route. Hewitt House, at US-12 and M-50, is part of the Walker Tavern Historic Site operated by the Michigan Historical Museum and the DNR. Walker Tavern, built in 1836 began as a stagecoach stop and is now an Irish Hills destination for automobile tourists. Hewitt House improvements will include structural stabilization, grading for drainage, exterior repairs, work on the interior to accommodate visitors and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Total cost: $265,231. Federal funds comprise $212,185 and the DNR matching grant is $53,046.   
• The other Lenawee County project will improve aesthetics, accessibility and pedestrian safety in a core downtown area. MDOT, with the village of Britton, will make streetscape improvements on a one-tenth-mile stretch of M-50 (Chicago Boulevard), from west of Main Street to just east of the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The streetscape will extend 100 feet north and south on Main Street. The project will include decorative concrete sidewalks with pedestrian-scale lighting, new benches and trash receptacles, stamped crosswalks, landscaping and storm water infiltration planters. The project will be paired with a road and water main project on M-50. Total cost: $440,580. Federal funding is $308,406; MDOT is paying $88,116 and the Village of Britton will pay $44,058. "In a nod to Britton’s heritage, the pedestrian lighting will be mounted on concrete blocks that will resemble carriage blocks used in Britton’s stagecoach era. The blocks will be etched with the original name of the village, which was Balch, along with our current village name, while other blocks will contain the names of early settlers," said Jack Chenault, village president. "It is our intention to make additional improvements and upgrades to storefronts as a community-wide project using donated labor and materials.
• MDOT is partnering with the city of Marquette to build nearly a half-mile of nonmotorized pathway from an existing bridge over M-553 to Grove Street. The pathway will connect the streets to trails to the south and improve access to the city's existing network of trails and a future phase of the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. The project is intended to improve student safety. Total cost: $213,557. Federal funds: $170,845; MDOT pays $27,712 and the city has committed $15,000.