NORTHVILLE — Construction is expected to begin next month on Wayne County’s first modern roundabout.
Located at Seven Mile and Sheldon roads, the single-lane roundabout is designed to calm traffic, improve pedestrian access and support the $350 million Downs redevelopment project just steps away, officials said.
The roundabout’s design, said John Katers, a principal with OHM Advisors and the project’s lead designer, has not changed since the project was presented at a public meeting last August.
Goals, he noted, were safety, mobility and fitting the roundabout into a challenging space.
“And of course, efficient traffic flow,” Katers said. “A very important thing…is that we always wanted to achieve single lane entries into the roundabout. These are very important for low speeds and for pedestrian crossings.”
Katers and OHM senior project manager Mark Lock presented an update and construction timeline during a July 8 Northville City Council meeting.
The project is fully permitted and out for bid through MDOT, with contractor selection expected by July 12. Construction is slated to begin by mid-August and continue through late November.
“We’re getting a little later start than we had hoped, but we still have time, we believe, to finish the job,” Lock said. “We’re hoping to start in mid-August, probably the second or third week…and probably go through Thanksgiving. Then it’ll be fully open for traffic. We’ll come back in the spring and plant the grass.”
Closures, detours and school impacts
As part of a Wayne County mandate, Seven Mile Road, a truck route, will remain open in both directions during construction. But Sheldon and Center streets will close at the roundabout site to protect workers and speed up the build.
The current plan is for east-west through traffic to be detoured using Six Mile, Beck and Eight Mile roads, while local traffic will be expected to use side streets such as Rogers, Wing and Fairbrook.
While the city thus far has no plans to mark a single detour through any residential neighborhood, council members acknowledged it would place added pressure on those areas.
Councilmembers also expressed concern about the closure’s overlap with the start of the school year and the proximity of several schools that generate a high volume of traffic in the morning and afternoon.
“We’re going to end up with a compounding effect during those windows,” Councilmember John Carter said. “And I have a feeling that we’re not only going to need additional traffic measures, we may need to have police or traffic control support in place to help navigate, especially since you have children that cross…those roads during those periods.”
Councilmember Andrew Krenz agreed, noting traffic already backs up along Eight Mile during pickup and drop-off at Hillside.
“We’re going to have to plan ahead,” he said.
Safety upgrades and design decisions
Despite the concerns, city leaders say the roundabout is a smart, long-term solution.
“You have a 38% reduction in accidents… 76% reduction in injury accidents and a 90% reduction in fatalities,” Krenz said, citing federal data. “Pedestrian vehicle impacts go down by 75% when you replace a traditional intersection with a single-lane roundabout.”
Katers emphasized that the design includes features to slow cars and protect pedestrians, including narrowed crossings and landscaped medians.
Still, the city’s request to add flashing pedestrian beacons near St. Lawrence Estates was denied by Wayne County, where Lock said officials cited safety and maintenance concerns.
Signage will be added instead, he noted, and the city may explore additional upgrades later.
Cost, funding and what’s next
The project is expected to cost $2.55 million, with $2.17 million covered by federal grants. Northville’s required local match is $375,000, though a development agreement with Hunter Pasteur could reduce that.
Landscaping, originally included in the budget, has been deferred and may be revisited in coordination with the city’s Beautification Commission and Downs developers.
A public information meeting is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at the Northville Community Center, 303. W. Main St. Residents can stop by any time, view displays and ask questions.
Contact reporter Laura Colvin: lcolvin@hometownlife.com.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Northville roundabout construction planned for August kickoff
Reporting by Laura Colvin, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
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