It appears downtown Oxford will finally get its second traffic signal installed sometime this month.
Mid-to-late August is the state’s time frame for erecting a signal at the intersection of M-24 and Broadway Street, according to Steve Stramsak, a traffic and safety engineer with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).
‘I haven’t received any more definite dates as of yet,? he said.
The signal was originally supposed to be installed by July 1, but the influx of projects funded by federal stimulus dollars caused everything else to be put on the back-burner.
‘Due to the short turnaround time on getting (these) projects out the door, it delayed most of the other work we had going, including this signal installation,? Stramsak said.
Once the signal’s placed, left-turns from southbound M-24 to Broadway Street and from northbound M-24 to Mechanic Street will be prohibited.
Plans to construct a right-turn lane for northbound M-24 traffic to turn onto Broadway and a left-turn lane for southbound M-24 traffic to turn onto Broadway are in the works for the future.
The village is still in the process of securing needed right-of-ways from various property owners along M-24.
According to village Manager Joe Young, state funding for the turning lanes is probably a year to two away.
Stramsak estimated the cost of installing this signal to be somewhere in the $60,000 to $80,000 range.
‘The installation cost will be paid entirely by MDOT,? Stramsak said.
However, the village will be responsible for paying one-third of the ongoing maintenance costs associated with a signal, which normally amounts to around $300 to $400 annually.