FeedsTraffic study report expected in July
A task force formed to solve traffic congestion in western Wayne County will suggest additional service drives and ramps from and onto I-275 at Ford and Cherry Hill roads.
The outlined system, to be included in the final alternatives portion of the study, would cost an estimated $30 million if it were to be implemented. Another alternative, a new interchange at Warren Road, would cost $125 million.
The Western Wayne Task Force meets for one of the final times July 7. Soon after, members are expected to reveal their conclusions to municipalities affected by the study, known as the Western Wayne Transportation Improvement Plan.
The goal of the study is to identify and prioritize areas of concern in the fight for sparse road dollars from the federal and state governments. The final alternatives list details a 25-year plan and $100 million in suggested road projects, according to Tim Faas, director of municipal services for Canton.
“That’s just a huge amount of work, much of which is not on the SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) 2030 list,” said Faas.
He referred to the Regional Transportation Plan from the municipal planning organization SEMCOG, itself a 25-year, $40 billion list of priority projects in the seven-county area.
Canton, which has a vested interest in traffic congestion, has contributed 25 percent of the $450,000 cost of the study. The state is picking up the rest.
The vicinity of I-275 and Ford Road, the new neighborhood of regional-draw IKEA, was one primary area of focus.
IKEA would be the beneficiary of an additional “slip ramp” from southbound I-275 to Ford Road. The ramp, which would cost an estimated $8.87 million, would cut through the south boundary of the furniture store overflow parking lot east of Haggerty, essentially allowing IKEA traffic to exit straight into the parking lot.
That would relieve congestion for those coming to Canton for another reason than to shop for furniture.
“There’s a lot of non-IKEA traffic that gets off at Ford and goes north, to Yazaki and residential areas in the evening,” said Faas.
He added IKEA would probably welcome the slip ramp, although the parking lot was originally proposed to be used for customer parking only during extremely busy times, two or three times a year.
Another service drive would be created on the south side of Ford and join up with southbound I-275. Northbound drivers on Haggerty could use that ramp and avoid the Ford intersection altogether.
The third component consists of service drives between Ford and Cherry Hill roads. Southbound I-275 traffic would be able to exit at Cherry Hill. Connecting to northbound I-275 would be possible from Cherry Hill, too.
The service drives come with an estimated price tag of $29.5 million.
The Western Wayne Transportation Task Force includes representatives from the Michigan Department of Transportation, Wayne County and the Federal Highway Administration, along with participation from Canton, Plymouth Township, Westland and Van Buren Township.
Another major element of the study is the suggestion of widening Ford Road by one lane, most likely on the south side, between Lilley Road and I-275. The section between Canton Center and Napier Road is also suggested to become a five-lane road, including a center turn lane, a $51.5 million project.
