By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Atlas Twp. — The three year plan for a mile section of Green Road on the township-Goodrich border is moving forward. Ditching is ongoing for the thoroughfare and will continue during the winter months.
In September 2022 the township board of trustees voted 4-0 to apply for a Michigan Department of Transportation Small Urban grant to provide $345,000 for the partial funding of Green Road from Gale to Ridge roads. An estimated cost for paving Green Road according to the Genesee County Road Commission is $1,200,000 for that mile section.
In May, the township split $625,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds between the Green and Ridge road projects.
In the fall of 2023 trees were removed along the road and pavement is expected in 2025.
“The paving segment of Green Road could be divided over the next two years due to costs of the project,” said Jim Busch, township supervisor.
The trees were removed last winter, and just before ditching, going as long as they can depend on winter.
The project does not include bike paths or sidewalks which could add more than $900,000 to the cost of the project.
A speed study was conducted during the Memorial Day weekend in May 2021.
The average speed was 45-55 mph. On that Memorial Day weekend speeds went up to well over 60 mph. The highest speed was 101 mph and well over 50 cars were doing over 80 mph.
In May 2022, the township board of trustees voted to join the Genesee County Road Commission for an engineering and design agreement for a hard surface plan for Green Road from Ridge to Gale roads. The cost of the agreement was $70,000.