Road work to be completed by October
By Barb Pert Templeton
A majority of the Algonac City Council agreed to adopt Resolution #2024-08 for the M-29 Road Diet at a recent meeting. The six in favor and one against motion had new council member Dale Williams casting the only no vote.
In a memo to the city council City Manager Denice Gerstenberg explained the project and Mayor Rocky Gillis read her document into the record at the meeting.
He said the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) approached the city of Algonac to schedule a $1 million dollar project on M-29 from Nook Road to Smith Street. MDOT is funding 100% of the project with surplus from the 2024-2025 winter maintenance funds.
The MDOT recommended project will include resurfacing of M29, upgrading all sidewalk ramps to meet ADA standards and a “Road Diet” which will be the conversions of the 5-lane pavement section from the Kroger driveway to St. Clair River Drive to a 3-lane pavement section. The change will create a more consistent cross section and the realignment of lanes from St. Clair River Drive to Smith Street so there are 3-12-foot lanes with the 8-foot shoulder on the east side.
An upcoming road project in Algonac will have MDOT resurfacing a part of M29, upgrading all sidewalk ramps to meet ADA standards and a “Road Diet” which will be the conversions of the 5-lane pavement section from the Kroger driveway to St. Clair River Drive to a 3-lane pavement section.
The purpose of the “Road Diet” is to improve traffic safety by reducing and narrowing driving lanes with pavement markings, which can reduce crashes due to reduces speeds and fewer opportunities for collisions.
The entire project will be completed by Oct. 2024 and will not interfere with the city’s annual Pickerel Tournament or the Algonac Art Fair, Gerstenberg wrote.
There’s currently no parking allowed on M-29 and this project will not change that although the city may consider parking on the east side in the future.
Councilwoman Dawn Davey asked the city manager if MDOT had informed the city as to when the project would start, Gerstenberg said as soon as possible as they already have a contractor ready to go.
“They wanted it on the agenda as soon as possible because they have the contractor,” Gerstenberg said.
Davey said when MDOT gave a presentation on the project they seemed a bit vague and they didn’t provide any photos of the plan. She said that has made it difficult to explain what’s actually planned to residents. Gerstenberg said she’d be happy to provide some photos.
Councilman Michael Bembas said to just to update the public he wanted to say that basically what MDOT said they are going to do is take the street – M-29 – in front of McDonalds down to two lanes from five lanes.
“He (an MDOT official) said if we decide at a later date on some parking, well at this point no, but they also told us that if we decide that we don’t like it they can come and restripe it,” Bembas said. “So, the paving is going to be the same no matter what but we do have an opportunity in the future to say this is not working and we want it back to the old way.”
“I think it’s well worth taking the chance and doing it the way the state wants just because it’s supposed to be safer; it will also cause people to drive a little bit slower through town so they can see our businesses and boardwalk and maybe stop and spend a few dollars,” Bembas added.
Mayor Pro Tem Ray Martin said historically the idea from MDOT was to have all the lanes to keep traffic flowing and now it seems to be a reversal in opinions. Now they want things to slow down instead of flowing through since the document notes three lanes. He then asked if there will still be a center turn lane.
“The center turn lane will start at Kroger and end at the library, there will still be a center turn lane,” Mayor Rocky Gillis said.
“So, there will be consistently three lanes, so you will have north bound, south bound and the center lane,” Gerstenberg said. “And in front of the park there will be one 8-foot shoulder on the park side.”
Bembas expressed surprise at the idea that there’s going to be an eight-foot shoulder. Gerstenberg said the lanes are so wide right now that MDOT compared them to expressway lanes.
Gillis said I-94 has 12-foot lanes and the city has 16-foot lanes on M-29 by the city’s boardwalk.
“The overall picture is your getting a million dollars’ worth of work and resurfacing done,” Gerstenberg said, along with a striping program to make things safer overall.
Bembas said is it true that the speed limit won’t change drivers will be driving safer to which Gillis said yes, that was true.
