CANTON TWP. — After decades dodging the congestion and crashes along Ford Road, Karl and Suzanne Widak said they’ve perfected the art of avoiding the busy Canton Township corridor.
“We take Warren, we take the back alleys, anything but Ford Road,” said Suzanne, noting she and her husband have lived near Warren and Canton Center for 31 years. “The left turns, people trying to cut across all the traffic – it’s just too much. I think every one of those driveways should be marked ‘no left turn.’”
“We avoid Ford Road at all costs,” said Karl, who works at a hospital in Taylor and noted the planned reconstruction of Ford Road can’t come soon enough and will, he believes, help reduce the number of crashes.
“I take care of people that are injured, so I see it,” he said. “If you can give me something that results fewer injuries, that’s worth the cost.”
$65 million project will rebuilt more than 2 miles of road
The $65 million Michigan Department of Transportation project will reconstruct 2.27 miles of Ford Road (M-153) between I-275 and Sheldon Road.
At a public meeting Aug. 20, MDOT Project Manager Jeff Horne called the job “complex and iterative,” citing years of design changes, right-of-way negotiations and utility relocations for delay of the project, originally announced in 2019, but pushed back a number of times. Although plans are still fluid, work is now scheduled to begin in 2028 and 2029.
Once the orange barrels do arrive, those planning to drive Ford Road should pack an extra portion of patience.
“For two years, Ford Road will be down to one lane in each direction,” Horne said, noting access to businesses will be maintained at all times. “There’s going to be backups and congestion. But, short-term pain means long-term gain. Most people recognize this is needed, and we’re excited to get it moving.”
When complete, eastbound and westbound traffic on Ford Road will be separated by a boulevard with at least two through lanes in each direction. The continuous center left turn lane will be eliminated.
Other improvements include:
According to MDOT, Ford Road carries more than 40,000 vehicles daily, with crash rates at some intersections nearly triple the state average. MDOT officials said the redesign is focused on safety but will also improve traffic flow and provide safer business access.
The design aims largely at improving safety on Ford Road by eliminating the ability for motorists to make left turns out of commercial driveways.
“You see a lot of angle crashes in this area,” Horne said. “So it’s really a job that improves safety out here based on the traffic crash patterns we’ve seen.”
Models show the project could slightly improve the level of service – potentially making the road feel somewhat less congested, but the major focus is safety related, he said.
Residents largely supportive of plan
Karen Bozian, 27-year resident: She supports the plan, especially the turnarounds.
“It’s better than roundabouts,” she said. “The accidents are heavy on Ford Road – you see police and rescue all the time – so this should help.”
Cindy Grey, who lives at Ford and Haggerty, said she and her neighbors are relieved that earlier proposals for Haggerty Road turnarounds were scrapped.
“If it stays like it is, we’re very happy,” Gray said. “We’d never have gotten out of our condominium complex otherwise.”
Les and Joy Pedersen, 25-year residents, said they were still on the fence about the project.
Les cited concerned about lanes shrinking from the current width of 12 feet down to 11. Another concern was drainage in the area, hit hard by storms in 2023.
“Sheldon and Ford had businesses closed for months from flooding,” he said. “Are the engineers really mitigating that now?”
Joy Pedersen said she wasn’t overly optimistic, but was reserving judgement.
“I’m still on the fence,” she said. “I wish there were other solutions instead of this major disruption.”
Iranna Kona said he was cautiously optimistic.
“They say accidents will be reduced based on the model, not real data yet,” Kona said. “If it happens as predicted, it’s good for everybody.”
He also said he would like to see better service drives so shoppers can move between stores without going back onto Ford Road.
For the Widaks, the shifting timeline has been difficult, but now that they know where to look for updates on the project, they’re hopeful change on the horizon.
“We’ve done it for 31 years – we can do it for two more,” Suzanne said. “But it’s been a long time coming.”
For information on the Ford Road Boulevard project, visit FordRoadBlvd.com or FordRoadBlvd on Facebook.
Contact reporter Laura Colvin: Lcolvin@hometownlife.com
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Canton residents weigh in on long-awaited Ford Road rebuild
Reporting by Laura Colvin, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
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