In early November, Main Street was relieved of duty by the Michigan Department of Transportation, after serving as a designated detour route during construction work at I-75 and Dixie Highway.
At the Nov. 22 Clarkston City Council meeting, officials were warned of the roadway’s recall to handle more diverted traffic in 2005.
Next year’s bridge reconstruction at I-75 and M-15 will cause a variety of woes, according to Gary Tressel, the city’s contracted engineer with Hubble, Roth and Clark.
Officials discussed both the official detour designations and unofficial alternate routes which motorists may attempt to use.
MDOT plans to narrow M-15 to one lane in either direction from June through November 2005. In addition, various ramps between the two highways will be closed, with the ramp from southbound M-15 to southbound I-75 closed through the entire project.
Tressel said the designated detour will be northbound I-75 to southbound Dixie Highway to northbound M-15 to the northbound ramp from M-15 to southbound I-75.
To help prevent use of Holcomb Road as a shortcut, Tressel said MDOT has agreed to prevent left turns from Dixie Highway to Holcomb.
Snickers filled the room as Tressel talked of MDOT’s assurances to ease traffic concerns next summer. Complaints followed concerning current and future bottlenecks inside the city limits.
‘Why should we have to suffer?? asked Mayor Sharron Catallo, who later admitted, ‘I don’t know that there is anything else we can do.?
Tressel floated one idea which the city government would have to authorized. Barricades at Holcomb and Miller could prevent those attempting to use side streets to return to M-15.
?[MDOT] will allow you to do it, but they will not pay for it,? Tressel said, estimating the cost of such a move at between $500 and $1,000.
The barricade, however, has the potential of causing additional backups at the Holcomb/Washington intersection.
‘The traffic is already starting to back up at Miller Road now that Holcomb is completely paved,? said Council Member Walter Gamble.
Police Chief Ernest Combs said the use of Miller this past summer was less than expected.
‘It’s really hard to predict,? Combs said. ‘We’ll have to keep a close eye on it and have a contingency plan.?
Some wondered why MDOT would not use the Sashabaw Road interchange as a designated detour, but Tressel said another construction project is slated for 2005 at Sashabaw and Clarkston roads.
‘You can’t detour people into a detour,? he said.
Council Member David Savage suggested that downtown residents and business people might take Sashabaw to Waldon Road into the downtown area, but that led to a question of how to limit use of that alternative.
Attempting to instill some levity into the conversation, Council Member Daniel Colombo said, ‘Issue wristbands.?
Levity aside, city officials expressed doubt that motorists would follow the official MDOT detour. Tressel said he did his best to argue for mercy from the state agency.
He also promised to pass along any other suggestions prior to MDOT’s plans to seek bids on the I-75/M-15 project in January.
‘We expressed a lot of concerns,? he said. ‘The bottom line is a state trunk line is a state trunk line.?