FeedsLaurenwood will see first road millage project
Timing is everything.
The approval of a road millage in May means the city of Wayne can make full use a grant for road work received nearly two years ago.
The grant, for up to $100,000, came through Congressman Thad McCotter’s office to be used to fix up Laurenwood Road in Glenwood Heights, according to City Engineer Ramzi El-Gharib.
“It’s one of the worst roads in the City of Wayne,” he said.
The grant comes from the Federal Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (TEA-LU). City officials said they appreciated the grant, but it was not exactly practical. To qualify for the federal funding, projects must be designed by strict engineering guidelines that add to the overall cost of the project.
“It can cost $60,000-$70,000 or more,” El-Gharib said.
That wouldn’t have left much for the actual construction work, El-Gharib said.
Since city voters approved the 1-mill road levy in May, though, Wayne will have matching funds to allow for more work to be done there. They approved a contract last week for $32,000 for Stantec to do design engineering services for the project, which will now include reconstructing the entrances to the Glenwood Heights subdivision at Laurenwood and Glenwood, Laurenwood at John Hix and at Hillcrest and Newburgh roads. In total, the project will cost $350,000, including all the engineering.
“If we did not have the money from the road millage, the grant would not have been worth it,” El-Gharib said. “Now it’s like free money to us.”
Even though the grant was award in 2005, the money is still available, according to El-Gharib.
“That $100,000 has to be spent by 2008,” he said.
