HALL ROAD HEADACHE
Road work from Romeo Plank to Elizabeth roads starts today
It’s that time of year to roll out the orange barrels.
Construction on the eastern portion of Hall Road (M-59) is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. today, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) reported late Wednesday. The roadwork is expected to result in traffic lane shifts and closures for the next six months.
Work crews were out Thursday in the inclement weather prepping the road. The brief return of winter isn’t expected to impact the project, according to an MDOT official.
“As of right now, it’s still a go,” Diane Cross, a spokesperson for the state agency, said Thursday in an email.
The first phase of MDOT’s $63 million, two-year rebuild of the highway will focus on M-59 from Romeo Plank to
Elizabeth roads. The second phase, which will take place in 2022, will be between Elizabeth to just east of Interstate 94.
Rebuilding the roadway will improve the pavement surface for a smoother drive and allow for safer pedestrian sidewalks, MDOT said in a construction update.
MDOT will be rebuilding 4.5 miles of M-59 through Chesterfield, Clinton, Harrison and Macomb townships.
The work includes replacement of the asphalt roadway, water main and storm sewer work, sign replacement, and traffic signal modernization. Also scheduled is work to fill in sidewalk gaps along with ramp and sidewalks will be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Other features include enhanced crosswalks that will be added at Groesbeck Highway (M-97) and Gratiot Ave
nue (M-3), the creation of a median shoulder, along with the addition of new plants, trees and shrubs. A northbound turn lane on Groesbeck will be installed for dedicated dual right turns onto eastbound M-59.
Beginning today following the morning rush hour, westbound M-59 traffic will be shifted to the right lane and shoulder beginning at North Avenue to allow crews to safely work on the left lanes from Elizabeth Road to Romeo Plank Road.
Next week, eastbound M-59 traffic will be shifted to the right lane and shoulder beginning near Garfield Road for work to take place from Romeo Plank to Elizabeth Road.
Included in the project work is a 14-day closure of M-59 between Gratiot and Groesbeck starting this fall. The shutdown is in part to allow Canadian National Railway (CN) to make enhancements to the existing railroad. MDOT crews will perform some improvements to the area when CN’s work is complete.
This year’s construction will conclude in late fall, according to MDOT, which will primarily use social media platforms to keep the public updated. Officials stated they understand there are a lot of manufacturing plants employing hundreds of workers along the route as well as residents, and stress they will be transparent as possible during the life of the project.
A similar two-year construction plan of M-59 between M-53 and Romeo Plank finished in 2018. Officials said there were no significant delays in travel times during that project and they do not anticipate any — with the exception of the railroad work — in this effort.
About 90,000 motorists use M-59 every day, according to MDOT.